National Herald case: Congress, BJP spar over issue

“The country knows the legacy and politics of this family”, he said.

Soon after the Congress chief launched a scathing attack on the Modi government for targeting them after she and her son got bail from a court in National Herald case, BJP hit back saying they were “fighting for corruption in a shameful manner” by doing “drama” on road.

Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, general secretary Oscar Fernandes, journalist Suman Dubey and technocrat Sam Pitroda, too, have been summoned on a complaint of cheating and misappropriation of funds filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.

“The Congress Party and the Congress leadership is ready to take on the political malicious vendetta unleashed by the Modi Government and the Bharatiya Janata Party through the agency of Subramanian Swamy”, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

After Sonia and Rahul appeared in court on Saturday accompanied by a battery of legal eagles and Congress top brass amid unprecedented security arrangements, Swamy criticised the Congress and such shows sent the wrong message to the people.

Adding to the agony of a busy Saturday for the court, gate number two of the Patiala House has been blocked and only people related to the case can use the same.

National Herald newspaper was started by former prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1938 during the freedom struggle. Walking towards the court room with smiles on their faces, the Gandhis looked calm.

“When our (BJP) government came, they said this is injustice and again provided me the security that had been given to me during Rao’s tenure”, he said. On 1 April 2008, the paper’s editorial announced that it was temporarily suspending operations.

They have been accused of trying to illegally acquire real estate worth thousands of crores belonging to the now defunct newspaper National Herald.

The Delhi High Court last week dismissed the plea of the Gandhis to quash the summons issued to them by the trial court on Swamy’s complaint.

In 2014, the trial court asked Sonia and Rahul to appear in the case.