Delhi court grants Gandhis bail in corruption case

The legal battle has sown further bitterness between the Congress and Modi, who had vowed a “Congress-free India” even before he crushed the Gandhis in an election past year.

“The Congress Party and the whole country had suspected from the beginning that the BJP and specially the PM are behind Dr Swamy slapping a bogus case”.

Mrs Gandhi and her son, party president and vice-president respectively, are accused by Mr Subramanian Swamy, leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of illegally using party funds to acquire assets of the National Herald newspaper. Sailajanath made Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu responsible for launching false campaign against Sonia and Rahul.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took surety for Rahul Gandhi and AK Antony took surety for Sonia Gandhi.

“Congress party is united in support of what Sonia ji and Rahul ji have mentioned just now”.

Rejecting Congress criticism that he was doing vendetta politics at the behest of Congress, Swamy said look at the evidence in the case and not vendetta.

Many Congress leaders including Chief Minister O Ibobi, MPCC president Gaikhangam, Ministers and MLAs took part in the protest demonstration.

The National Herald was set up in 1938 by independent India’s first prime minister and Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru. “The court was kind enough to grant bail without conditions except for furnishing security in the sum of Rs. 50,000 on behalf of each of the accused which were furnished”, he told reporters after the hearing.

He said, it was the outcome of the dictatorial mindset of the party which has been openly claiming to finish not only the Congress but entire opposition.

Upon entering the courtroom, Sonia and Rahul stood near the witness box on the right side of the roughly 20X20 square feet room, large by Patiala court standards.

Referring to the case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, Sonia Gandhi said that she was totally aware of the intention of the people behind the case. It was decided to make it a low-key affair and not organise any kind of march to the court as planned earlier. “I wanted to do it right away, but they said no, please give us till February”, Swamy said as he went on to narrate proceedings in the hearing with the customary smile that he usually dons as if up to some mischief. “You are telling the judiciary, how dare you summon us”, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu said.

The two leaders then approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay. “Ye log hamein kabhi apne raaste se hata nahi paayenge, kendra sarkar jaan boojh kar hume nishana bana rahi hai (these people will never be able to deter us from our path, the central government is targeting us on purpose)”, she said.