“The GST bill has gone for a sky walk”, Anand Sharma, the Congress party’s deputy leader in the upper house, told Reuters, indicating swift passage of the measure was unlikely.
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Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a Congress spokesman and a lawyer representing the Gandhis said they were willing to appear at court, but sought more time.
The Congress’s main charge was the BJP and the Narendra Modi government had indulged in “political vendetta” against the Nehru-Gandhis because the person who pursued the case was Subramanian Swamy, now a BJP member. “Why then disturb the Parliament and prevent the legislative activity from continuing?” questioned the finance minister. “This case and the response are just pure politics, which is more rhetoric than substance”, Pai said.
Union minister of state Rajiv Pratap Rudy however hit back saying the Congress leader lacked the courage to face Parliament.
“Democracy can not function at the whims and fancies of anyone”, he added in his sharpest comments since the winter session began two weeks ago. The accused include Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, and Oscar Fernandes, the President, the Vice President, Treasurer, and General Secretary of the Congress party respectively.
According to CNN-IBN, the Congress prime brass has determined that the party president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi won’t move the Supreme Court, therefore will seem earlier than the Delhi High Court. Asked about Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu’s charge that Congress was using Parliament to threaten judiciary by disruptions, he said, “It is the other way round”.
He, however, said that does not mean that the party was casting any aspersions on the judiciary. The space of National Herald which was to run a newspaper was given on rent.
As soon as the house met at 11 a.m., Congress members trooped near the chairman’s podium shouting slogans.
He claimed that Rs 90 crore debt was assigned to a Section 25 company-a firm formed for promoting art, science, religion, charity or any other useful object-for Rs 50 lakh. That company today is owner of real estate, getting lot of rent.
The Congress leaders own a stake as directors in YIL, registered as a charitable company, as per the complaint.
Asked about the BJP “connect” via Swamy, Nanda said: “Swamy was not in the BJP when he filed the case”. It is an issue that has to be settled in a court of law, and not in the wider political arena, much less in Parliament. The court has summoned the accused on prima facie basis. The accused now have two alternatives. In this din, it is far from clear what specific accusations it is, in fact, making. They have used tax exempted income for a non-exempted goal. “This profit will become huge taxable income in its hands”, said Jaitley. We appeal to them not to take revenge of this mandate from the people of the nation, ‘ Naqvi told ANI. The Enforcement Directorate has not issued any notice to them. It is insulting to crores of ordinary citizens in this country who obey court summons and go through trials. The battle has to be fought legally. But the results of legal battles are always uncertain. As it appears, the party has gained some traction from its allegation: the Centre’s “political vindictiveness against the Congress leadership”. The government challenged the opposition to clarify whether it was accusing the court of being politically motivated.
“Everyone is equal before the law and nobody in the country is allowed privileges; the Gandhis should realise that”.
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Noting that the Criminal Court has taken cognizance of the offence, which has also been upheld by the High Court, the Minister said, “No one is above the law”.
