Sonia Gandhi Tests Positive for Covid-19; Congress Says No Impact on June 8 ED Appearance

Sonia Gandhi has tested positive for Covid-19, the Congress announced on Thursday, days before the interim party president was to appear before the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told mediapersons about Sonia Gandhi’s Covid test result a day after her son and party MP sought more time to appear before the ED in the same case.

“Congress president Sonia Gandhi tests positive for COVID-19. She has developed mild fever & some symptoms and has isolated herself and has been given requisite medical attention. As of today, her date of appearance before ED on June 8th stands as it is,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Sonia Gandhi a speedy recovery from Covid-19. “Wishing Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji a speedy recovery from COVID-19,” he said in a tweet.

While Sonia (75) was asked to appear before the agency on June 8, Rahul (51) was summoned on June 2. At a press conference on Wednesday, party leaders Surjewala and Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said that Sonia would comply with the summons, but her appearance on June 8 before the ED is now unlikely given her positive Covid test.

Rahul Gandhi, too, did not appear before the agency on Thursday, and sought more time to make an appearance. Writing to the Enforcement Directorate late on Wednesday, the Congress leader said he is currently not in India and request another date to appear before the agency.

Rejecting the allegations, the Congress has termed the case “political vendetta” by the ruling BJP.

The case pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the Congress-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper. The agency, officials said, wants to record the statements of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency had recently questioned senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Bansal as part of the investigation.

The National Herald is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.

The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is part of ED’s investigation to understand the share holding pattern, financial transactions and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials said.

The agency registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court here took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

The first family of the Congress party, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.

BJP MP Swamy had accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds with Young Indian Pvt Ltd paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress.

The Delhi High Court in February last year issued a notice to the Gandhis for their response on Swamy’s plea seeking to lead evidence in the matter before the trial court. They, however, contended in the Delhi High Court that the plea by Swamy was “misconceived and premature”. The other accused in this case filed by Swamy are Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda who have denied the allegations.

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