Vehicles burnt, trains stopped as Sonia Gandhi questioned by ED for 3 hours

News Network
July 21, 2022

New Delhi, July 21: Sonia Gandhi, 75, was questioned for nearly three hours by the Enforcement Directorate today, on the first day of her appearance before the probe agency in an alleged money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper.

What happened 

>> Sonia Gandhi arrived at the probe agency's headquarters in central Delhi a little after noon. She was escorted by her Z+ category CRPF security cover. Mrs Gandhi, who was diagnosed with Covid recently, was accompanied by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

>> Mrs Gandhi's questioning was carried out by five officers led by a woman Additional Director, it is learnt. The probe agency prepared 50 questions for Congress chief.

>> Ms Vadra was allowed to stay in the 'building, away from the questioning room, so that in case of a health issue she can be with her mother and provide her medicines, officials said. 

>> The party has slammed the agency's action and called it a "political vendetta". Several Congress leaders were detained as the party held nationwide demonstrations in support of the party chief. Carrying large banners saying "stop misuse of ED", Congress leaders today held a march inside the Parliament complex in a show of strength against the Enforcement Directorate. Large number of demonstrations are also being held across the country. In some places, protesters stopped trains, and even burnt vehicles, according to reports.

>> "Prime Minister forgets that his idea of Congress is based on leaders they have taken from us. They have to reborn several times to understand what Congress party is, what Gandhi family is," the party said in a press conference called this morning.

>> "We are protesting the ED summons to Mrs Sonia Gandhi. The AJL-Young India transaction is recorded in the books of account, the returns filed by the two companies and in the Income Tax returns. All that the ED wants to know can be found in the records," tweeted Congress leader P. Chidambaram, who was detained during protests in Delhi.

>> The BJP criticised the Congress' protests as its "duragrah" (obstinate demand) for protecting the Gandhi family. "The Congress has become a pocket organisation of a family, and now its assets are also being pocketed by the family," BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged, attacking the Gandhis.

>> Earlier today, a meeting chaired by the Congress to discuss "relentless political vendetta" by the Centre was attended by almost 13 opposition parties. A statement released by like-minded opposition parties has condemned the BJP-led Centre's "misuse" of investigating agencies. Arvind Kejriwal's AAP has also given a zero-hour notice over "misuse of central investigation agencies by the ruling government". 

>> The Congress chief appeared after the third summon. She sought exemption on earlier dates of June 8 and June 23 after she contracted coronavirus infection.

>> The ED has been investigating the role of the Gandhis in the case which involves the Young Indian's takeover of AJL (Associated Journals Limited), the company which ran the National Herald newspaper. Founded by Mr Gandhi's grandfather and the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the newspaper was a Congress mouthpiece that later went entirely online.

Comments

Ramesh Mishra
 - 
Friday, 29 Jul 2022

Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul Gandi suffered crimes of moral turpitude at the hands of an authoritarian tyrannical regime. The people of India and the community of the nation intervene to protect the noble family of Sonia Gandhi. Sonia has sacrificed all the worldly luxury to advance India.
Respectfully submitted for the consideration of the modern world.
Ramesh Mishra
Victoria, British Columbia Canada

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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Agencies
November 22,2025

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New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has again claimed to have solved the conflict between India and Pakistan, repeating his assertion during a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office.

Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House on Friday. Trump said he “enjoyed” the meeting, which he described as “great.”

During remarks in the Oval Office, with Mamdani standing next to him, Trump repeated his claim that he solved the May conflict between India and Pakistan.

"I did eight peace deals of countries, including India and Pakistan,” he said.

On Wednesday, Trump had said he threatened to put 350 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan if they did not end their conflict, repeating his claim that he solved the fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to say “we're not going to go to war.”

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Mamdani emerged victorious in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected to sit at the helm of the largest city in the US.

He had been the front-runner in the NYC Mayoral election for months and defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and political heavyweight former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate and was officially endorsed by Trump just hours before the elections.

Indian-descent Mamdani is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. He was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

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News Network
November 27,2025

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Authorities at Pakistan’s high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday dismissed speculation about the condition of imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, rejecting rumours that he had been moved out of the facility or was in danger. Officials said Khan was in “good health” and described the viral death claims as “baseless.”

“There is no truth to reports about his transfer from Adiala Jail,” the Rawalpindi prison administration said in a statement, according to Geo News. “He is fully healthy and receiving complete medical attention.”

Amid swirling rumours on social media, Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), urged the federal government to issue an official clarification and demanded that authorities allow his family to meet him immediately, Dawn reported.

The frenzy began after Khan’s three sisters called for an impartial probe into what they described as a “brutal” police assault on them and other PTI supporters outside Adiala Jail last week. Soon after, several social media handles circulated unverified claims alleging that Khan had been “killed” inside the prison.

The rumours intensified when a handle named “Afghanistan Times” claimed that “credible sources” had confirmed Khan’s “murder” and that his body had been moved out of the jail — allegations that have not been verified by any credible agency.

Imran Khan, PTI’s patron-in-chief, has been lodged in the Rawalpindi prison since August 2023 in multiple cases. For over a month, an undeclared restriction has prevented family members and senior PTI leaders from meeting him. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has reportedly been denied access despite making seven attempts.

In a letter to Punjab Police Chief Usman Anwar, Khan’s sisters — Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan, and Dr. Uzma Khan — said they were “peacefully protesting” outside the jail when police allegedly launched an unprovoked assault after streetlights were switched off.

“At 71, I was seized by my hair, thrown to the ground and dragged across the road,” Noreen Niazi said, alleging that other women present were also slapped and manhandled.

Adiala Jail officials reiterated that speculation over Imran Khan’s health was unfounded and insisted that his well-being was being ensured, Geo News reported.

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