NEW DELHI: Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi has tested positive for Covid-19. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had issued summons to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case. Sonia Gandhi was asked to appear on June 8. Following which, she was tested positive. However, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that she will appear for the questioning. “Sonia Gandhi has a mild fever. She has isolated herself under medical advice. We hope she will get better. We will get her tested again and her plan of visiting the ED stands,” he said.

The ED had also summoned party Rahul Gandhi over the same case on June 2. However, the leader informed that he could not appear as he is not in India at present. Associate Journals Limited (AJL) owned by Young India Private Limited are the publishers of the National Herald daily. Accusations of cheating, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust in the acquisition of AJL, which ran the Congress mouthpiece, National Herald, by Young Indian Pvt Ltd have been levelled in the case. Meantime, the Congress claims that no transaction took place and the debt was converted into shares only to pay the salaries.

According to ED officials, the notice was issued to record the statements of Rahul and Sonia on the basis of the criminal provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ED had also questioned Congress leaders namely Mallikarjun Kharge and Pawan Kumar Bansal, in connection with the case.