National Herald case is vendetta: Congress

The Congress said on Tuesday that the developments in the National Herald case implicated senior government leaders in a "proxy litigation".

"The ruling party is using proxy litigation to attack senior Congress leaders out of political malice," spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the media.

"This is political vendetta at its worst. (Subramanian) Swamy, the complainant, is a senior member of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)," he said.

A Delhi court on Monday dismissed a plea of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi to quash a trial court's summons to them in the case.

On Tuesday, they were asked to appear in the court on December 19.

The issue relates to alleged cheating and breach of trust in acquiring ownership of National Herald newspaper.

Singhvi said each accused was keen to appear before the court at the earliest possible date.

The four other accused are Suman Dubey, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandez and Sam Pitroda, who lives in the US.

"The US accused will also try his best to be here, subject to logistics. (Everyone) has the highest regard for the court," said Singhvi.

--Indo-Asian New Service

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