Sonia Gandhi admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital due to COVID-related issues

Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to New Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital due to COVID-19-related issues, party general-secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala informed on Sunday. Taking to Twitter, Surjewala shared that Sonia Gandhi's condition was 'stable' at present and she was being kept at the hospital for observation. 

The Congress president had tested positive for Coronavirus on June 2 ahead of her summons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the National Herald case. She exhibited mild symptoms with fever, the Congress party had then informed. 

Sonia Gandhi granted time by ED to attend summons

In connection with the National Herald Case, while former Congress President Rahul Gandhi was asked to appear before the ED on June 13, Sonia Gandhi was to appear on June 8. Ahead of her summons, she had sought three weeks' time from the ED due to her COVID-19 diagnosis. Accepting her request, the 75-year-old was asked to appear before the agency on June 23. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi will be appearing before the agency as per his summons on June 13.

For the said date, Congress is preparing for a major show of strength in Delhi,  sources have said. All the Parliamentarians and CWC members will march to the ED office. The party is also planning to stage 'satyagraha' in front of ED offices in all states across India. This was decided in a virtual meeting of the party's general secretaries and state in-charges.

The National Herald case 

The case pertains to the probe into the alleged financial irregularities in the party-promoted Young Indian that owns the National Herald newspaper. The paper is published by AJL and owned by Young Indian Pvt Limited.

The questioning of the senior Congress leaders and the Gandhis is a part of the ED's investigation to understand the shareholding pattern, financial transactions, and role of the promoters of Young Indian and AJL, officials said. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are among the promoters and shareholders of Young Indian.

The probe agency had registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court took cognizance 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.

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. On December 19, 2015, the Gandhi mother-son duo got bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs.50,000 each and a surety after the court ruled out apprehension that they will flee the country.