Congress doing 'celebration of corruption': BJP

Following the celebration of the Congress Party over the bail granted to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi and other accused in the National Herald case, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday termed it as a 'celebration of corruption', adding that they have received bail and not Bharat Ratna.

"The judicial process of the country has been victorious. It does not see any kind of difference between ordinary people and people of importance in politics. That's the reason as to why ultimately both of them had to appear in front of the court. They got a bail. The celebrations in the Congress Party thereafter, forces us to use this phrase 'celebration of corruption'. We should remind them that it is just bail, which they got, not the Bharat Ratna," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told ANI.

Patra pointed out that the celebration of the Congress puts a question mark on the basic fabric and character of the party.

Minutes after the court formalities, the Congress yesterday turned the bail for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and also for other leaders into a celebration.

They drove straight to the AICC headquarters to take reverential greetings from senior leaders and workers and to briefly address the media.

Amid enthusiastic chants by Congress men and women, Sonia Gandhi said, "I don't have slightest of doubt that truth will prevail. A disinformation campaign against us by our political rival had been on for generations. The present government was purposefully misusing government agencies to target us. "None of us is scared. Our fight will continue."

Earlier, the Gandhis along with the other accused in the National Herald case appeared before Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen in response to summons issued against them. They have been summoned by the trial court on prima facie charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust and dishonest misappropriation of property under relevant sections of the law.

The court will next hear the case on February 20.