New Delhi: All eyes now turn to court where Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi are set to appear in the National Herald case at around 3 pm today. The appearance comes after the Delhi High Court quashed their plea seeking exemption from personal appearance at the trail court.
Other Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, other accused in the case, are also expected to be present in the Delhi Patiala House Court for hearing today.
Security has been tightened and the court premises will virtually turn into a fortress in view of their appearance. Senior officials of the Special Protection Group (SPG), Delhi Police and Intelligence Bureau reviewed the security arrangements at the court where 16 more CCTV cameras were installed today. Both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are SPG protectees.
An estimated 500-700 security personnel are expected to be deployed around the court premises today.
The matter has been the biggest bone of contention between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, with the former blaming the ruling dispensation for raking up the issue and indulging in vendetta politics. "One hundred per cent political vendetta. This is pure political vendetta coming out of the PM's office. It is their way of doing politics... I have full faith in the legal system," Rahul Gandhi said last week.
The issue has also been one of the biggest contributors towards a dysfunctional Parliament, especially the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP is in a hopeless majority. Several key bills have not been allowed to be taken up as a result of protests by the Opposition plaguing legislative business.
The National Herald case accuses the Gandhis of fraud, cheating, misappropriation and criminal breach of trust in acquiring the assets of a company that had published the National Herald, a newspaper founded by Rahul's great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru.
The case, which relates to a complaint filed by BJP's Subramanian Swamy, alleges that through a series of debt and equity deals, a shell company that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi controlled, acquired property worth about Rs. 5,000 crore after paying just Rs. 50 lakh.
The Congress party has so far kept its legal strategy a closely guarded secret, though sources say the duo could seek bail in the case, if need be. Party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said all legal options were open to the party, including applying for bail. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad too spoke in a similar vein on Thursday.
"The Congress president and vice president have full faith in the judiciary and full faith in the law of the land. Whatever we shall have to do as per the law, we will do," Azad said.
There were reports earlier that all Congress chief ministers and leaders of legislative parties in the states will come to Delhi on Saturday. The party has now said that only people "relevant to the case" will go to the court.
Congress leaders are expected to converge at the party headquarters at around 1 pm on Saturday. Contrary to earlier directives, the two leaders are reported to have asked party leaders and supporters from other states not to throng the capital on Saturday. There was apprehension that a large gathering could be dubbed by Congress rivals as an effort to influence the judiciary, party sources observed.
(With inputs from IANS)
