The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is India's premier economic intelligence agency, has issued a fresh summon to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in connection to a money laundering case. The fresh summon was issued after Sonia Gandhi has appealed for the reschedule of the enquiry she was infected by the Covid pandemic. 

As per the new summon, she has to appear before the ED on June 23. Earlier, she was asked to appear on June 8, which has now been deferred. The officials said that Gandhi has been given a fresh date for June 23 to appear before the ED in Delhi where her statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Her son and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is expected to be questioned in the same case on June 13.

The summon was issued at the beginning of this month and a day after receiving the summon, Sonia Gandhi had tested positive for the Covid pandemic following which she has asked ED to issue a fresh summon. The money laundering case against the Gandhis is linked to the National Herald newspaper, which is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) owned by Young Indian Private Limited, which is promoted by the Congress party. The case was filed recently against the Gandhis to probe the alleged financial irregularities in the Young Indian Private Limited. 

The officials have said that the ED wants to record the statements of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The summon was issued to the Gandhis days after the ED had questioned senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal as part of the probe. 

The issue of financial irregularities had begun in 2012 when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had filed a complaint brushing allegations that Congress leaders, including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, were involved in a breach of trust in the acquisition of Association Journals Limited by Young Indian Private Limited. In his complaint, Swamy has alleged that Young Indian Limited had acquired the assets of the National Herald in a malicious manner, in a fashion of making a profit and assets worth over Rs 2,000 crore. 

Swamy has said that the loan given to Association Journals Limited was illegal. In his complaint, Swamy had accused the Gandhis of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds with Young Indian Private Limited paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the rights to recover Rs 90.25 crore that the Journals were indebted to the party. However, the Congress party has been claiming that it has created Young Indian Private Limited with an aim of charity and not for a profit.

Responding to the summon, the Congress party has earlier said that it has issued with a political vendetta. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said, "This is a politics of vendetta and revenge by the BJP to target opposition leaders as they have done to other opponents in the country. " The leaders said that there is no case made out of it and its only intention is malafide." 

Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "National Herald newspaper was started in 1942. At that time, the British tried to close it. Today, the Modi government is also doing the same thing as the Britishers did. Now the ED is being used for this purpose. The Enforcement Directorate has given notice to our president Sonia Gandhi and former president Rahul Gandhi." 

Addressing the reporters, Congress leader Singhvi said, "This is a strange case of money laundering where no money is involved. The case is more hollow than a pack of cards. We will face it. We are not intimidated. This reeks of vendetta, pettiness, fear, and cheap politics." He further said that the case was closed in 2015 by the ED but the government had removed the concerned officials, brought in new officials, and reopened the case.