On a day its former president was to be questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Congress said that the AJL that was established in 1937, faced huge debts and the party, during the 2002-11 period, gave Rs 90 crore to the National Herald newspaper to pay the salaries of the journalists and staffers who worked there. “We're the protectors of the Constitution, we will not bow down or get scared. By deploying a large police force, it has been proven that the Modi Government is shaken by the Congress,” party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said on Monday. The Congress dubbed it undeclared emergency.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Baghel said: “I have been arrested....You should ask the Delhi Police why I have been arrested. This is a dictatorship. Several Congress workers have been detained because they wanted to carry out a peaceful march. I am also being detained. This is unprecedented that Congress workers were not allowed to enter the Congress headquarters. If there is no FIR how can the ED summon him,” Baghel said. The police said that he was being detained and not arrested as he refused to leave.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Government of misusing agencies. "They are misusing agencies and they are harassing people," he said at a press conference at AICC HQs. Surjewala said Congress leaders had done nothing wrong and alleged that "Godse's descendants fear the truth and they will not be able to suppress the truth". Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot also alleged that the Government was misusing central probe agencies and this was nothing but "political vendetta". Former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said, "This is a fight for democracy. The Government is trying to muzzle the voices of politicians who are trying to raise their voices."
He alleged that the ED had earlier cleared the name of Rahul Gandhi and asked why he was being targeted now. "Now Satyagraha will take place at every corner and nook," he said. Newly-elected Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan said, "Why is the Government not allowing us to carry out a peaceful protest?"
"This is a dictatorship. You had to apologise to five countries over an action of a spokeswoman and we cannot ever carry out a rally," she said referring to the controversy over the remarks against Prophet Mohammad.
