National Herald case: Congress' arrogant attitude will backfire, says BJP
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the central government following a trial court's decision to grant them bail.
5 pm: The Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government kept up its attack on the Congress, saying the party should do some self-reflection. After Sonia and Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the BJP following a trial court's decision to grant them bail in the National Herald case, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, "They are accusing the BJP as if it's our doing. It's not as if [the] BJP summoned the respondents in the National Herald case. Their arrogant attitude will come back to bite them."
Naqvi added, "Congress and corruption go hand in hand. When we talk about Congress-free India, we mean corruption-free India."
3.45 pm: Addressing the press after getting bail in the National Herald case, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said she had confidence in the country's judiciary and had no doubt that the truth shall prevail. She alleged that the Centre is targeting Opposition leaders via central agencies, saying that the Congress is not scared of the tactics. She added that the party will continue working for the poor.
Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "putting false allegations" on the Congress. He said, "I and the Congress party will not bow [to the government's tactics]. We will keep working as the Opposition and help the poor."
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated the Congress party's support for Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. "We will put up a determined fight because we stand for certain values and ideals," he said.
3.30 pm: The Congress is expected to host a press conference shortly, according to media reports.
3 pm: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi have been granted bail in the National Herald case, after appearing in front of the Patiala House District Court on Saturday. The bail was granted on a surety of Rs 50,000, reported Times Now. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra signed the surety for Rahul Gandhi, while AK Antony did so for Sonia Gandhi, reported ANI.
Three other accused in the case – Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, party secretary Oscar Fernandes and Suman Dubey – were also granted bail, reported PTI. Sam Pitroda, another accused, was exempted from appearance on medical grounds.
Senior Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal said that the court granted bail without any conditions apart from the payment of the personal bonds. The court rejected complainant Subramanian Swamy's plea to seize the passports of the accused and impose travel restrictions on them, he said. Sibal added that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have not sought exemption from personal appearance at the court for the next hearing on February 20 at 2 pm.
2.45 pm: Congress leaders have thronged the Patiala House District Court, which is due to rule on the National Herald Case at 3 pm. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who are accused in the case, were among at least a dozen senior party leaders who arrived at the court. Some of the leaders were seen smiling and putting forward a confident face in front of the media. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other Congress leaders such as Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, Meira Kumar and Sheila Dikshit were all present at the court.
2 pm: The Congress party sharpened its attack on Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, the complainant in the National Herald case. Congress leader RS Surjewala said that Swamy is a stooge and a mask of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party also criticised the Centre's decision to allot Swamy a bungalow in Delhi, saying it was an award for dragging the Congress leadership to court.
Swamy hit back saying that the "drama by [the] Congress is giving the country a bad name" and "shows they are losing".
1.40 pm: Robert Vadra has come out in support of his mother-in-law Sonia Gandhi and brother-in-law Rahul Gandhi ahead of the National Herald case ruling. Vadra wrote in a Facebook post, "Politics of vendetta and desperate malicious attempts of defamation, will not be believed...Truth shall prevail."
1.30 pm: The Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday continued to spar over the National Herald case. On a day when Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Sonia Gandhi are set to appear in the Patiala House District Court in Delhi in connection with the case, party workers protested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP in Delhi, Jaipur, Bhopal, Bengaluru, Nagpur and Varanasi, reported ANI.
The Congress maintained its allegation that the Narendra Modi-led central government was pursuing a political vendetta, while the BJP said that it is a legal matter and the opposition party is trying to mislead people, reported PTI.
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are among seven people accused of cheating and misappropriation of funds related to the takeover the now-defunct newspaper, which was founded by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The case was filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy.
The two Gandhis may not seek bail in the case, according to media reports. NDTV quoted two top Congress leaders as saying they are ready to go to jail if required and their legal defence is being kept a closely guarded secret. The Congress-led Opposition has disrupted both houses of Parliament multiple times since the Delhi High Court on December 7 ordered the two Gandhis to appear before the trial court in the case.
For more details on the National Herald case, here is a Scroll Explainer.