Stop ED leaks on Rahul's questioning: Congress tells Centre

Senior Congress leader Vivek Tankha sent separate letters to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, home minister Amit Shah and law minister Kiren Rijiju, on Wednesday urging them to stop such information leaks, reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri

New Delhi:The selective leaks to sections of the media over the Enforcement Directorate’s questioning of Rahul Gandhi is a gross violation of his human rights and the government must stop it immediately, senior Congress leader Vivek Tankha said on Wednesday.

“I am disgusted with the conduct of ED in leaking information in a systematic manner to defame the Congress leadership and especially Rahul Gandhi. Is this a media trial or what? The ED has become a tool of vendetta for the government. Therefore, I have urged the government to stop this immediately,” Tankha told ETV Bharat in an exclusive interview.

Tankha, who was recently elected Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh and is a senior Supreme Court advocate, sent separate letters to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, home minister Amit Shah and law minister Kiren Rijiju, on Wednesday urging them to stop such information leaks. The ED technically comes under the finance ministry.

Tankha, who has cited a few instances of media reports in his letter, further said that the party had many more such instances as evidence with it and could approach the appropriate court in the matter. “This is step one. You can’t take the law into your own hands. We have around 50 such instances. Obviously, someone is leaking the information. I just mentioned a few instances so as not to burden the letter. The issue is very serious. We can even approach the high court and the Supreme Court or even file a suit against them for redressal of our grievance,” he said.

Tankha sent the letters on behalf of the AICC Legal, RTI, and HR Department, urging direct stoppage of the trial through media. “Leakages to the media in a systematic manner is bringing democracy into disrepute. It shows the most pathetic misuse of state machinery to harass and humiliate the Congress leadership. Remember, history never forgives the wrongdoers,” Tankha said.

According to the lawyer, “for the past three days, the country has been witnessing gross misuse of power by the BJP to humiliate the Congress.” “History teaches us that nothing is permanent in this world, including power. Remember, people not merely judge but they also punish the wrongdoers,” he said. The Congress leader said that the country runs on the basis of rule of law and not the rule of a political party or some leaders.

“The opposition is respected in a democracy but regular attacks on the opposition are hurting democracy,” he said. On the National Herald money laundering case, over which the ED has been questioning Rahul Gandhi for the past three days, and has again called him on Friday, the Congress leader said that no such money laundering has taken place.

“No one has gained or taken money in this case,” he said. Blaming the BJP for playing divisive politics, he said a divided country is easily defeated. “If a country is divided it is easily defeated. We all should work to make the country strong,” he said.