Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday tested positive for Covid-19 and has isolated herself. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said she had developed a mild fever on Wednesday evening and was found Covid positive on testing this morning.
Surjewala, however, asserted that she is determined to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 8.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of Congress leaders have wished Sonia a speedy recovery.
“Wishing Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji a speedy recovery from Covid-19,” Modi tweeted. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin also wished Sonia a speedy recovery. Telangana Congress has decided to hold prayers in temples, churches, mosques and Gurdwaras in Telangana, which was decided at the meeting of District Congress chiefs.
Surjewala said as per medical advice, the Congress president has isolated herself. He said the Congress president has been meeting leaders and activists over the last week, some of whom have been found Covid positive. “Congress president will appear before ED on June 8, as informed by us earlier. We, at Indian National Congress, shall keep you posted about any future developments,” Suetweeted.
“As a large number of Congressmen and women and well-wishers have expressed concern, we want to say that she is fine and recovering. We thank everyone for their good wishes,” he said at the AICC Press briefing.
The ED has summoned Sonia and her son Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi to appear before it on June 8 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper-AJL issue. According to the Congress sources, the ED summons to Sonia had come on May 24, asking her to appear before the ED on June 8.
The Congress has alleged that the “fake issue of AJL, (Associated Journals Limited) is an attempt by BJP’s propaganda machinery to deviate, divert and digress the attention of citizens from the multifarious vital issues of inflation, falling GDP and social unrest, social divisiveness in this country.