National Herald case: Congress wrongfully blaming Govt, says Naidu

Criticising the Congress Party for disrupting proceedings in both houses of Parliament over the National Herald case, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said the grand old party's moves were undemocratic and unethical and it was also wrongfully blaming the government.

"As they could not face the truth, they are now trying to blame the government. My point is establishing the guilt or framing the charges or not framing the charges that is the exclusive jurisdiction of the judiciary. Government has no role to play at all. It is totally unethical, unfair and undemocratic on the part of the Congress party to obstruct the Parliament functioning on account of the case where the government has no role to play at all," Naidu told the media here.

"This case to my knowledge started even before our government came to power. Secondly, this is an action filed by a person and the court has taken cognisance of the same. They have issued notice and they should contest it in the court. How can you hold the government responsible? It is totally unfair and irresponsible criticism against the government," Naidu added.

Parliament ceased to function this morning till 12.30 p.m., as Congress MPs in both Houses created a ruckus over the court summons to party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress termed it as "petty vendetta politics of the BJP".

The next hearing is set for December 19 by the Patiala court today.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had filed a complaint before the trial court in 2012, alleging that Congress leaders were involved in cheating and breach of trust in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YIL), as assets worth crores of rupees had been transferred to YIL.

Swamy had also filed a caveat in the apex court to pre-empt any ex-parte order on appeals likely to be filed by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul.

The summons were issued on a criminal complaint lodged by Swamy for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in acquiring ownership of now-defunct daily National Herald.

The Congress party had loaned Rs 90.25 crore to Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL), publisher of National Herald, and on December 28, 2010 and it had assigned this debt to Young Indian Ltd (YIL), the charitable company, for Rs 50 lakh, which, according to Swamy, amounted to breach of trust and cheating.