Prove in Parliament National Herald case is 'political vendetta', govt to Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi, the government on Wednesday dared him to give proof in Parliament on his allegations against the government and the Prime Minister's Office on the National Herald issue instead of wasting time of the House, after the Opposition party stalled proceedings alleging political vendetta.

Soon after the Congress Vice President alleged that the National Herald case was "hundred per cent political vendetta coming out of the PMO", Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said Rahul "did not have enough courage" to speak in Parliament on the issue.

"He (Rahul) is instrumental in disrupting the House. Court has taken cognisance against him and Sonia Gandhi. They are trying to become a hero after the charges against them. At the same time, they do not have enough courage to come inside the House and say what they are speaking outside to the media.”

"We should ask Rahul Gandhi, if he has enough courage, if he has enough honesty, if he has standing as a leader of his political party, he should come to Parliament and give proof of the statement he has made against the judiciary.”

"The proof of the statement he has made against the government and the PMO... he should come and give an explanation in the House and the proof of what he is talking about," Rudy said.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari asked the Congress to resolve the matter in court as Government and Parliament have nothing to do with it.

"The House or government has nothing got to do with this ('National Herald' case) either directly or indirectly. It's a court decision. Wasting Parliament's time is not good for democracy," he told reporters outside Parliament.”

"I would request Congress party to resolve the matter in court and not disrupt Parliament's working which has no relation with it. Neither Parliament nor government has any right to change the court's decision," he said.

Reacting to Congress's allegation of "vendetta politics" by the government, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said the party is in a way attacking judiciary as the matter lies with the court.

"Who does not know which party has been doing the politics of vendetta for the past so many years. And if they are saying 'vendetta', that means Congress is blaming the judiciary," Rathore said.

Congress leaders, including Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, have been summoned by a Delhi court on December 19 on a complaint by BJP's Subramanian Swamy against them for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in taking control of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

"Every citizen has right to accuse anyone and whether that accusation is right or wrong, is a court matter. Just because somebody is a BJP member, it does not mean he does not have the same rights," Rathore said.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and others were directed to appear in person on December 19 by a Delhi court which allowed their plea seeking exemption from personal appearance for the day in the National Herald case.

The Delhi High Court had on Monday rejected the pleas of Gandhis and others for quashing of the summons against them in the case and also turned down their pleas for exemption from personal appearance in the trial court.

Along with the Gandhis, five other accused -- Suman Dubey, Moti Lal Vohra, Oscar Fernandez, Sam Pitroda and Young India Ltd -- had challenged the summons issued to them by a trial court on a complaint by Swamy against them for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in taking control of the now-defunct daily.

The trial court had on June 26, last year summoned all the above accused to appear before it on August 7, 2014 on Swamy's complaint. The Congress leaders had, thereafter, on July 30, 2014, moved the high court which had stayed the summons on August 6, last year. Thereafter, on December 15, 2014, the court had further stayed the summons till final disposal of the petitions.