New Delhi: A combative Sonia and Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the Modi government of pursuing “political vendetta” against them in the National Herald case while the party alleged that such cases are being pushed as the BJP wanted a “Congress-free” India.
On a day a Delhi court granted them exemption for the day and asked them to appear before it on December 19, the Gandhis said the truth would ultimately prevail despite the “vicious and malicious” attack.
“I am the daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi. I am not scared of anyone,” the Congress President asserted, invoking the legacy of the late Prime Minister.
“I am not disturbed.” she told reporters after a meeting of the strategy committee of the Congress party in Parliament.
The case, brought by BJP member Subramanian Swamy, alleges the Gandhis used $13.5 million (Dh50 million) of party funds to pay debts accrued by a newspaper business.
Both the Houses of Parliament were repeatedly adjourned and no business was conducted after the Congress members disrupted proceedings shouting slogans in the well against the government on the Herald case issue, accusing the government of political vendetta.
Speaking in Cuddalore, the party Vice President alleged that Centre thinks they can stop him from asking questions about them by “vendetta” politics.
“That is not going to happen.This is the way Central government functions. I absolutely see a political vendetta,” he said.
They were asked to comment on the the Delhi High Court rejecting their pleas for quashing the summons by a Delhi court against them in the National Herald case, initiated by BJP leader Subramanaian Swamy.
The party also fielded three of its senior leaders and lawyers--Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi and Randeep Surjewala --who insisted that the government and the BJP wanted a “Congress-mukt” Bharat, and hence such cases against Congress leaders were being pushed.
Dubbing Subramanian Swamy as “His Master’s Voice”, Sibal alleged at the AICC briefing that the BJP leader has been specifically assigned to “persecute and prosecute” the Congress leadership and has been told to target them.
“Who is Subramanian Swamy. He is the power of attorney of the BJP to persecute and prosecute the Congress party. We are read to face the magistrate,” Sibal said.
Singhvi recalled that Swamy has been acting against the Congress leadership for long to take out his “vendetta”.
“Government has increased the politics of vendetta day by day since last 18 months,” he said.
Alleging politics behind Swamy’s allegations, the party said that BJP wants a Congress Mukt Bharat but “people of India will ensure that Congress comes back to power with a bang like it had done in past. We have nothing to fear, nothing to hide.”
Surjewala said that in past also Congress leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi faced such “vicious personal attacks” by the Opposition and this time also it is being done.
