Sonia Gandhi undergoes fungal infection treatment post COVID diagnosis at Delhi Hospital

Days after Congress President Sonia Gandhi was hospitalised due to COVID-related issues on Sunday, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has released a statement mentioning that the 75-year-old leader has been admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi after she experienced nose bleeding following a COVID infection. A fungal infection in her lower respiratory tract was also detected after she was admitted, the statement added. Sonia Gandhi is currently being treated for her post-COVID symptoms and continues to be under close observation, informed Congress. It is pertinent to mention here that the Congress chief tested positive for COVID on June 2.

Notably, Sonia Gandhi was supposed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in money laundering in the National Herald case. However, citing her health issues she has sought more time from the central agency 

Sonia Gandhi granted time by ED to attend summons

After three rounds of back-to-back interrogation from June 12-15, the fourth round of Rahul Gandhi's summon is scheduled for June 20 in connection with the National Herald Case. However, Sonia Gandhi was to appear before ED on June 8, but she had sought three weeks' time from the ED citing her COVID-19 diagnosis. Accepting her request, the 75-year-old was asked to appear before the agency on June 23.  

Meanwhile, in a bid to display their rage, Congress workers and supporters have been carrying out protests across the nation against ED's summons to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. On Tuesday, top Congress leaders including Randeep Surjewala, KC Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi, Deepender Singh Hooda, Ranjeet Ranjan, Imran Pratapgarhi, and others were detained and taken to the Tughlak Road Police Station amid intensified protests over ED action against Rahul Gandhi. Similarly, on Wednesday, the protesters were seen getting increasingly unruly across multiple cities. In the national capital, outside the ED's office, an enormous blaze was also created.

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.

(Image: PTI)