Watch | Modi se toh mei bilkul nahi darta, says Rahul Gandhi on National Herald case

New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that that he is "not afraid" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will not be "intimidated" by the Enforcement Directorate action in the National Herald case.

Rahul, who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month for around 50 hours over five days in the money laundering case related to National Herald newspaper, claimed that he the Centre has been using pressure tactics to silence him and other Opposition voices using central agencies.

"Modi se toh mei bilkul nahi darta hoon (I am not at all afraid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Rahul told reporters today.

The former Congress president said that he and his party workers will not be intimated by the Centre's action. "They may do whatever they want. It does not matter. I will continue to work to protect the country and democracy and maintain harmony in the country. I will continue to do my work whatever they may do," Rahul added.

The Congress leader's reaction comes a day after the ED sealed the Young Indian office in Herald House in the national capital.

On the barricading of his house and Congress office by the Delhi Police on Wednesday evening, Rahul said, "truth cannot be barricaded", and that his party will continue to protest.

Rahul further claimed that the BJP government thinks it can "silence" the Opposition by putting "some pressure" on them. "But we will not be silenced," he added.

#WATCH | Delhi: "I am not at all scared of Modi. They can put up more barricades. Truth can't be barricaded..," says Congress MP Rahul Gandhi after reaching the Parliament. pic.twitter.com/dsJBCQKQ2C

— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2022

"Narendra Modi and Amit Shah think that with a little pressure we will go silent. But we won't. Whatever they are doing is against democracy. We will stand our ground," Rahul said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi was also quizzed by the ED for over 11 hours over three days last week in connection with the National Herald case. During the probe, she had answered around 100 questions.

National Herald case

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy back in 2013 had filed a private complaint before a trial court in Delhi, alleging cheating and misappropriation of funds by the Gandhi family during the acquisition of the National Herald newspaper.

Swamy alleged that the Gandhis had acquired properties owned by National Herald, purchasing over the newspaper’s erstwhile publishers through Young Indian Pvt Limited (YIL). He said that Gandhis have 86 per cent stake in it.

In the complaint, Sonia, Rahul and others have been accused of misappropriating funds by paying Rs 50 lakh, through which Young Indian had obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that the publisher of the newspaper - The Associated Journals (AJL) - owned to the Congress. The complaint further stated that the loan given to AJL was "illegal", as it had been taken from Congress' funds.

Swamy also alleged that Young Indian had “taken over” the defunct media organisation in a “malicious” to make profits and gain assets worth around Rs 2,000 crore.

Congress' leaders Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, journalist Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda were also named in the National Herald case.

The case to investigate alleged financial irregularities under the PMLA was filed about nine months ago after a trial court in Delhi took cognisance of an Income Tax department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by Swamy in 2013.

With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.