Bharatiya Janata Party National Spokesperson Shri Gaurav Bhatia, while addressing a press conference held on Wednesday at the BJP’s central office in New Delhi, strongly criticized AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge for misrepresenting facts during his press conference on the verdict in the National Herald case. Shri Gaurav Bhatia stated that the case related to National Herald and AJL has not concluded yet and that the Congress party is not conveying this truth to the public. He clarified that the matter is not related to political vendettas or merely technical grounds but concerns serious allegations and an ongoing trial in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are accused. Shri Bhatia also criticized the objectionable language used during the press conference by Mallikarjun Kharge and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
BJP National Spokesperson Shri Gaurav Bhatia stated that some time ago, AICC National President Mallikarjun Kharge held a press conference on the National Herald scam, in which Sonia Gandhi is accused number one and Rahul Gandhi is accused number two from the so-called Gandhi family. A court order was delivered yesterday, and it is extremely important to clarify what this order actually is, whether it is a clean chit or a decision given on technical grounds, because everyone knows that the so-called Gandhi family has conducted politics only through deceit, deception, and propaganda. There are two proceedings in this entire matter. The first is a private complaint filed by Subramanian Swamy, in which charges under the Indian Penal Code were invoked: Section 403 relating to dishonest misappropriation of property, Section 406 relating to criminal breach of trust, and most importantly Section 420 relating to cheating and fraud. These allegations were leveled against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and this constitutes the first case.
National Spokesperson asserted that the biggest question today is whether the first case has been quashed or closed. The fact is that the first case is still under consideration and its trial is continuing, in which Sonia Gandhi remains accused number one and Rahul Gandhi accused number two. The second important fact is that the case under Section 420, that is cheating and fraud, is related to the National Herald and the AJL (Associated Journals Limited) company, in which there is an allegation of usurping property worth approximately ₹2,000 crore. This case carries a provision of punishment up to seven years and it has also not been concluded yet. The Congress party is not telling this truth to the public, and when journalists raised this question in today’s press conference, neither Mallikarjun Kharge nor senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi had any answer. The third fact is that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are accused in this trial and are still out on bail. The case related to the allegations under Section 420 is ongoing, and it would not be wrong to say that if there is any most corrupt family in politics, it is the so-called Gandhi family, in which Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Robert Vadra are all out on bail. As Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had stated, they are a “Bail Gaadi.”
Shri Bhatia highlighted that in the first case, there can be a punishment of up to seven years under Section 420, and it was to get this quashed that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi approached the Delhi High Court, where the court, at the prima facie stage, termed the matter serious and refused to quash it. Thereafter, both of them also went to the Supreme Court. Showing the order dated 12 June 2016, Sonia Gandhi’s name is clearly recorded in it and Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi of the accused Gandhi family had sought relief from the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court clearly stated in its order that there was no justification to quash the proceedings pending against the petitioners and that no basis of political vendetta was found. However, today Mallikarjun Kharge and Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi are calling it a case of political vendetta. The Supreme Court has clearly said that this is not a case of political vendetta, because if it were so, it could have been quashed as per the Bhajan Lal judgment of the Constitution Bench, but that was not done. This then raises the question as to why Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi does not understand the fact that in a private complaint case, where the court itself has taken cognizance, the question of political vendetta does not arise at all, because neither is there any police investigation nor any FIR, and the entire matter is based on judicial cognizance, thereby making the argument of political vendetta completely untenable.
Shri Gaurav Bhatia remarked that the words used in the press conference held yesterday by Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera have caused pain to the entire country, especially to the residents of Gandhinagar. During the press conference, words like “Gangs of Gandhinagar” were used, which are extremely objectionable. What does “Gangs of Gandhinagar” mean? If a reply were to be given in the same language, people of the country could also say “Dacoits of Italy.” These are people who come to India to loot, loot the country, try to vote without even being citizens, and thereafter insult the honest, hardworking, diligent, and patriotic citizens of Gandhinagar in this manner. Pawan Khera and Mallikarjun Kharge should apologise to the entire country. The questions being raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party are extremely important. The decision that came yesterday relates to the second case, which is connected to the PMLA law, that is, money laundering. Under the PMLA, the existence of a predicate offense is required, the list of which is given in the PMLA Act, 2002, and IPC Section 420 is included as a predicate offense. The court yesterday said that since this is a private complaint case and no FIR has been registered, cognizance is not being taken at this stage, which was a technical ground. However, the same order also states that the ED can continue further investigation and that the court has not quashed the case. Legally, it is also clear that this is a trial court order, which the investigating agency may challenge in the High Court or the Supreme Court and may also continue further investigation. In such a situation, it is natural to ask why so much noise is being made by projecting this as a victory.
National Spokesperson asserted that the statements made on the floor of Parliament by Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi should be recalled, when Gaurav Gogoi had said that India’s judiciary had been compromised and Rahul Gandhi had said that India’s judiciary was being run by two people. Today, the situation is such that the Congress party is accepting the constitutionally valid decision given by a trial court judge. This clearly shows that India’s democracy is strong, the judiciary is strong, and all constitutional institutions of the country are robust. The second aspect is that the Congress repeatedly speaks of political vendettas, and in today’s press conference Mallikarjun Kharge raised the issue that the ED had questioned Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. The fact is that even after the questioning, no arrest was made, which demonstrates the fairness of the investigative process, and the question now arises as to what Mallikarjun Kharge has to say about this impartiality. Today, the judiciary appears acceptable to them. This attitude is similar to how the Election Commission seems fine when election results come from Telangana, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh, but when results come from Maharashtra, Haryana, and Delhi, the same institutions suddenly appear flawed and allegations of vote theft are made. This double standard shows that the Congress party has become hollow from within and no longer has the political capacity to function within the dignity and framework of the Constitution of India.