Congress leaders have to find way out of own 'chakravyuh': Jaitley

Asking the opposition Congress to fight the National Herald case legally and not to disrupt parliament, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Thursday that Congress leaders have to find a way out of the chakravyuh (phalanx) that is their own creation.

"By a series of financial transactions, leaders of the Congress created a 'chakravyuh' for themselves. They have to (now) find their own exit route out of the 'chakravyuh'," Jaitley said in a Facebook post.

"The answer to the Congress leadership landing up in a 'chakravyuh' is to fight their battle legally and not disrupt parliament. By disrupting democracy, the financial web created by the Congress leaders cannot be undone," he added.

Denying Congress charge of political vendetta in the case, the minister said calling it so was tantamount to a charge against the courts.

"They (Congress leadership) have acquired properties worth a huge amount without spending anything. They have used tax-exempted income for a non-exempted purpose. They have transferred the income of a political party to another company. They have created huge taxable income in favour of the second company," he said.

Jaitley said the government so far has not taken any punitive action in the case. "The Enforcement Directorate has not issued any notice. The Income Tax authorities will follow their own procedure."

"The government has passed no order in relation to the disputed transactions. No one is above the law. India has never accepted the diktat that the queen is not answerable to the law," he said.

He said neither the government nor parliament could help the Congress in this matter.

"Why then disturb parliament and prevent legislative activity from continuing? They can either challenge the order in the Supreme Court or appear before the trial court and contest the case on merits," Jaitley said.