The BJP on Wednesday hit back at the Congress over its condemnation of the seizure of assets of the National Herald as the ruling party alleged that the Gandhi family must pay for its ‘sins’.
Former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Gandhi family of grabbing assets of the National Herald by converting the now-defunct newspaper’s properties into ‘personal properties’.
An online version of the publication is available.
At a press conference, Prasad asked Congress to explain how the move against “honest dishonesty and plunder of public property” can be termed as denial of democracy.
After the ED seized assets of the Congress-promoted National Herald on Tuesday, the Congress said such “petty vendetta tactics” cannot frighten the country and called the investigating agency a “coalition partner” of the BJP. Its leader KC Venugopal termed the BJP and the polling agencies as ‘killers of democracy’.
Prasad said the newspaper had prime properties in many cities and alleged that senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi had appropriated these expensive assets when the shares of the company that owned the newspaper were transferred to a company where the two held 76 percent of the shares held.
It was an embarrassing new low in democracy, he claimed.
The Gandhi family not only usurped the legacy of the Congress as the leader of the freedom movement but also the assets associated with the party, he alleged, adding that both Congress leaders moved the judiciary against actions of investigative authorities, including income tax authorities, but did not get any relief.
What the family did was a case of “congress and trade”, he said, citing the use of the phrase in previous cases of a similar nature involving opposition leaders.
Prasad rejected the Congress’ claim that the ED’s action was a result of the BJP’s frustration as it lost in the current round of Assembly elections, asserting that it was the Congress that would be soundly defeated and noted noted that the investigation into the National Herald’s case began over a private complaint before the Modi government came to power in 2014.
Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul are accused of cheating and forgery and are currently out on bail, he noted, quoting the court’s critical observations on the allegations against them to make his point.
“You think you will continue to loot, but no action should be taken. The family must pay for its sins, corruption and abuse of power,” he said.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also questioned by investigative agencies in “sponsored” cases related to the 2002 Gujarat riots when he was prime minister, but BJP workers did not stage any protests. He emerged unscathed, the BJP leader said.
When the Congress leaders were called for questioning, they behaved like freedom fighters, he said in a swipe at Sonia Gandhi and Rahul.
To a question about the AAP’s claim that the BJP is targeting its leaders, he said the judiciary has vetted the action of investigating agencies. If AAP leaders think the proceedings will stop or they are making a lot of noise, then they are wrong, he said.
A number of AAP leaders are currently behind bars in the corruption case related to the excise policy.
The ED on Tuesday said it has issued an order to provisionally attach properties worth Rs 751.9 crore in the money laundering case being probed by it.
The federal investigation agency also alleged in the statement that Congress shareholders and donors were “cheated” by the office-bearers of AJL and the party.
The National Herald is published by AJL and is owned by Young Indian Private Limited. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders of Young Indian, each owning 38 percent of the shares.
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