Sonia Gandhi

Terming the charges as "baseless and false", Irani warned the Congress leaders that she will initiate civil and criminal proceedings against them if they do not tender an unconditional and unequivocal apology and withdraw their allegations.

"The ED has summoned Sonia Gandhi after interrogating Rahul Gandhi for fifty hours. This was really unneeded. This is considered harassment. On the 26th, we would have a peaceful demonstration. I encourage everyone to join this movement," he stated.

Sonia is being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the money laundering probe in the National Herald case. Her daughter, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was permitted to stay at the agency's 'Pravartan Bhawan' headquarters, so that if her mother became ill during the questioning, she could be with her and supply her with medicines.

'We condemn this and resolve to continue and intensify our collective fight against the anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-constitutional policies of the Modi gobvernment that is destroying the social fabric of our society,' Opposition leaders said.

Claiming that the agency's action against its top leadership was part of "political vendetta", the opposition party cadre and leaders are set to converge at the All India Congress Committee headquarters to stage protests.

Sonia Gandhi's personal secretary P P Madhavan, however, denied the allegations, saying that the "false" charges were aimed at vilifying his image out of political vendetta.

The rebellion by Eknath Shinde, a Cabinet minister who has walked away with a bunch of Shiv Sena MLAs, is most significant in the outfit's 56-year-old history.

In the last couple of days, the former Congress party president has already been questioned for a total of 21 hours.

Congress party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Modi government had crossed "every limit of barbarism".

As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi appeared before the ED for interrogation in a money laundering case, party leaders were detained forbreaking prohibitory orders. Several videos were shared by the Congress party, showing detained leaders singing 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' in the police station.