India’s opposition party leaders granted bail in corruption case

Speaking to media persons by the sideline of the protest demonstration, Gaikhangam maintained that BJP was falsely implicating Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi with a motive to weaken Congress party and cover up their weakness to set a single new agenda of development.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday appeared before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen in the National Herald case and were granted unconditional bail.

Congress party leaders have since brought India’s parliament to a halt with frequent protests over the case, preventing the passage of an important tax reform.

The court also gave bail to Motilal Vohra, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, who was given exemption from personal appearance owing to poor health.

Minutes later, the Gandhis, including Priyanka Vadra, walked out of the court with the bail order of R50,000 each, and hurriedly drove away without creating any hullabaloo.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told the media that they believe the BJP-led government and Modi were behind Swamy’s complaint in court.

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. Before its closure, the paper was being run by Associated Journals Limited (AJL). Sonia and Rahul left the court complex immediately thereafter. Only the octogenarian ex-PM took a auto as the rest wound their way on foot through Lutyens streets in a battle-like formation.

“They had tried to do the same thing in 1977 with Ms Indira Gandhi and failed and they are trying to do same thing with Ms Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi and they will fail this time also”, Jakhar remarked.

Giving relief to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Saturday granted bail to the senior leaders in connections with the National Herald case.

I appeared in the court today with a clear heart just as any other law-abiding citizen will do, Sonia Gandhi had told reporters. We are not afraid. “We will continue the fight and not bow down, ” they said.

“The current government is intentionally targeting its opponents by using government agencies”.

Next was Rahul: “Modiji makes false allegation…and thinks the opposition will bend”.

Congress party has no objection against investigation into wrongdoings. As if on cue, local units in UP, Odisha and elsewhere raised slogans against the PM and burnt effigies of Swamy. Walking towards the court room with smiles on their faces, the Gandhis looked calm. He claimed that Congress was posed to stage a massive come back across the country and this has made BJP “nervous”. “Unfortunately, Congress and corruption are made for each other”, said parliamentary affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.