Congress doing ‘celebration of corruption’: BJP

The protesters were holding play cards mentioning complete support to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and terming BJP’s and Subramaniam Swamy’s allegations as personal attack on Congress leadership.

Addressing a press conference on the issue of dragging Congress President Ms Sonia Gandhi, Vice President Mr Rahul Gandhi and others to the court, Jakhar said, the BJP government was trying to divert the public attention as it was frustrated since it had failed to do anything during 18 months after having come to power that it could show to the people.

Raising questions about the government’s action, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said if it was not indulging in “political vendetta” then why Subramanian Swamy, who was the complainant in the case, has been given “Z” category security and only yesterday, a “Cabinet minister’s house” in Delhi’s Lutyen’s Zone.

The trial court had on June 26 last year asked them to appear before it on August 7, 2014 but the order was stayed on August 6, 2014 by the Delhi High Court which on December 7 this year vacated the stay by rejecting the plea to quash the complaint and the summons.

Mr Swamy, the plaintiff, pleaded for the court to impound the Gandhis’ passports to prevent them from fleeing the country. Similarly, the Congress strategy of holding up Parliament may also have limited political returns.

The Gandhis appeared before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen, who also granted bail to Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, Gandhis’ family friend Suman Dubey and another party leader Oscar Fernandes after they appeared before it. While Sonia Gandhi refrained from naming the BJP, Rahul Gandhi did not hesitate to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making false accusations against them.

The Congress party leaders, scions of India’s famous Gandhi-Nehru dynasty, arrived at the Patiala trial court waving to their supporters as hundreds of police and paramilitaries stood guard outside.

The mother-son duo were accompanied to the court by Priyanka Vadra, daughter of Sonia. Earlier, Manmohan Singh and a host of Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Ambika Soni, Shiela Dikshit, Ashwini Kumar, Meira Kumar arrived at the court complex shortly before the hearing was to commence at 3 pm.

The party turned the hearing into a political spectacle. With no formal charges being filed yet, it is not clear how much jail time, if any, the Gandhis and others involved in the case could face.

Petitioner Subramanian Swamy said he was satisfied with the court’s which granted bail to the Gandhis but the court did not accept their lawyers’ plea for exemption from personal appearance.

“I have so many friends (in the BJP)”.

She said her party would not be deterred and would continue to fight for the rights of the poor. “That’s the reason as to why ultimately both of them had to appear in front of the court”. [Prime minister Narendra] Modi makes false allegations, and he thinks the opposition will bend. He pointed out how BJP leaders have been saying that they want a “Congress-mukt” India (an India rid of Congress). In fact, the whole country is happy that I brought them to court.