“They said they will not take bail”.
Advertisement
The Gandhis said that the Opposition won’t “bow down to false allegations”, while petitioner and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy asserted that it was a victory of democracy.
The Congress bosses say Opposition won’t bow down to “false allegations” by the Modi govt; next hearing on Feb 20.
A Delhi court today granted unconditional bail to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
The party workers gathered at Sri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Circle on the highway, alleged that Prime Minister was following politics of vendetta in the National Herald case and raised slogans against BJP leader Subramanian Swamy for filing the case. “We will fight the legal battle in accordance with the law and we will fight the political battle with the Modi government both inside Parliament and also by being the voice of 125 crore people of this country”, Surjewala said. Three others accused were also granted bail. “We will give a determined fight”, former premier Singh told reporters.
“The Congress party is united in support of (Sonia and Rahul)”.
The case has hit the party at a time when it is trying to revive its political fortunes.
The intensifying spat between the main parties looks set to stall the progress of a landmark sales tax reform in parliament. Azad said Congress was not afraid of “targeting” by the Modi dispensation and asserted that the more the party is attacked, the sooner it will return to power.
The AAP in turn caused a storm by accusing Finance Minister Arun Jaitley of presiding over financial irregularities when he controlled the capital s cricket association – a claim he vehemently denies. The case is based on a complaint by Swamy. Swamy holds firm that the Gandhis misused their party funds to acquire the newspaper’s real estate, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Gandhis insist Young Indian is a not-for-profit company, and that there was “no illegality” to the transaction.
Earlier this month, the HC had quashed the Gandhis’ appeal seeking an exemption from appearance in the summons issued by the trial court while observing that the conduct of the Congress officebearers named in the case “smacks of criminality”.
Sonia and Rahul were first summoned in the case in June 2014 but refused to appear in court in person, sending their lawyers instead.
The National Herald was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister and Rahul’s great-grandfather, and was long seen as a mouthpiece for the Congress party.
Advertisement
But dogged by bad management, poor circulation and falling revenue, she finally chose to close the publication in 2008.
