Notice in National Herald case a political witch-hunt: Sonia

Congress president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday said the notice from the Income Tax department in the National Herald newspaper case was a "political witch-hunt" and it will only help the Congress bounce back.

"This kind of political witch-hunt will only help us come back faster," Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House complex.

A court here last month issued summons to Sonia Gandhi and her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi on charges of misappropriating funds of a company that used to publish the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

Apart from the Gandhis, some other Congress leaders were also summoned.

Congress treasurer Motilal Vora said the party received the court summons Tuesday.

"We are seeking legal advice," he said.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy filed a private complaint in the National Herald case and the metropolitan magistrate court "found prima facie evidence against all the accused".

The complaint alleged that the Gandhis formed a company, Young India, in 2010 with 38 percent share each to take control of Rs.2,000 crore worth of assets of Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL), which published the National Herald.

The National Herald was started in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru. Over the decades, it lost circulation and ran into major financial losses, leading to its closure in 2008.