National Herald case: Truth shall prevail, says Congress

The party added that it won't bow down in front of the political vendetta of PM Modi, Subramanian Swamy or the BJP

The Congress Party on Saturday said that path of truth is always the correct path and the grand old party along with its leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi has always walked the path of truth. It said that the truth will prevail in the ongoing National Herald case also.

"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.
 

"The political vendetta led by Narendra Modi and Subramanian Swamy is only a small cog in this wheel of conspiracy," he added.

Surjewala also said that the Congress Party won't bow down in front of the political vendetta of Prime Minister Modi, Subramanian Swamy or the BJP.

"We will continue to champion the voice of the people in this country. We will continue to expose the misdeeds of the Modi Government. We have complete faith in the judicial system," he said.

"We will fight this legal battle in accordance with law and we will fight the political battle both inside Parliament and outside it," he further added.

The Gandhis are two among six people - including other top Congress leaders and Gandhi family associates - accused by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy of trying to illegally acquire real estate worth thousands of crores belonging to the now defunct newspaper National Herald.

Meanwhile, security has been increased in the Patiala House court in connection with the National Herald case.

According to party sources, the Congress is open to avail all legal remedies and options. Sonia and Rahul were summoned by the Court after a criminal complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds by them in acquiring ownership of now-defunct daily National Herald.

The National Herald newspaper was closely associated with India's freedom struggle and the Indian National Congress till 2008. In January 2008, discussions about its closure began. On 1 April 2008, the paper's editorial announced that it was temporarily suspending operations. Before its closure, the paper was being run by Associated Journals Limited (AJL).

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed the case in a local court in 2012. The trial court then issued summons to the two leaders among others in June 2014, but they approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay. On Monday this week, the high court refused to stay the summons, and asked all of the accused to appear for a hearing on December 19.

The accused face allegations that they illegally acquired property worth Rs. 5,000 crore belonging to the National Herald newspaper.