New Delhi, 17 December (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its statements on the National Herald case, branding Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as “liars” and members of the “most corrupt family,” while alleging that fraud and forgery charges have already been framed against them and that they are out on bail for this very reason.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed that if there is anyone most corrupt in politics, it is the “fake Gandhi family.”

He alleged that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra are all out on bail in a case under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code and are still moving around freely.

Bhatia said that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had recently held a press conference on the National Herald “scam,” which, he asserted, was carried out by this “fake Gandhi family.”

According to him, three members of this family – Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra – are on bail in the matter, and he described them collectively as a “bail gaadi” (a vehicle of people on bail) that survives only on deceit, fraud and propaganda.

Bhatia stated that there are two key aspects to the legal proceedings.First, he said, there is a private complaint in which sections 403, 406 and 420 have been invoked against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and the hearing in this case is still underway.Secondly, he alleged that this section 420 case relates to the alleged usurpation of National Herald properties worth around ₹2,000 crore, an offence carrying a potential sentence of seven years, and this case, too, is still pending.

He accused the Congress of hiding these facts from the public, adding that when journalists raised these questions during Kharge’s press conference, neither Kharge nor senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi had any answers.

Bhatia further claimed that despite approaching the courts on several occasions, including on June 12, 2016, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi received no relief.

He said they had even moved the High Court but did not secure any exemption, arguing that this shows there is no political vendetta involved, and accusing Kharge and Singhvi of lying.

Referring to the Enforcement of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Bhatia said the statute deals with the conversion of black money into white, that is, money laundering.

He contended that the court has recently made it clear that the matter in question arose from a private complaint without any FIR, which is why no active proceedings are being pursued under this law at present.He added that, however, the concerned department is free to continue its own proceedings as per law.

Commenting on the chaos at an event featuring football star Lionel Messi in West Bengal, Bhatia contrasted arrangements in Kolkata with those in Mumbai, saying that while order was maintained in Mumbai, there was a stampede-like situation in Kolkata because “law and order in West Bengal has completely collapsed.”

He remarked that “law and order is ruined, Mamata Banerjee is relaxed,” alleging that the Chief Minister has no time to look at governance and is worried only about elections.Bhatia declared confidently that, in his words, Mamata Banerjee will lose the upcoming elections, the public will teach her a lesson, and the Trinamool Congress will be wiped out.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar