Cong, BJP spar over National Herald issue

New Delhi: Trading guns at each other over the National Herald issue, Congress on Saturday alleged that the Modi government was indulging in political vendetta while BJP claimed that it is a legal matter and the opposition party has been trying to give a wrong impression to the people. 

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to appear before a magistrate on Saturday in connection with the National Herald case.

Raising questions about the government's action, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said “if it was not indulging in political vendetta then why Subramanian Swamy, who was the complainant in the case, has been given 'Z' category security and only on Friday, a cabinet minister's house in Delhi's Lutyen's Zone”.

He also raised questions about statements made by senior BJP ministers on the issue to support his contention that the government was indulging in political vendetta and also referred to the removal of the previous Enforcement Directorate Chief.

“It's a political vendetta led by, I am saying with a sense of responsibility, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swamy is only a small cog in this entire wheel of conspiracy”, Surjewala alleged.

He however, emphasized that his party and the leadership have complete faith in the judiciary, its processes and will fight the legal battle in court. “We will fight the legal battle in accordance with the law and we will fight the political battle with the Modi government both inside Parliament and also by being the voice of 125 crore people of this country”, Surjewala said.

He said that since his party leadership has faith and respect the court processes, workers also have been advised not to gather outside the court in Delhi.

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad 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.

BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao, meanwhile, said that “initially the Congress party's attempt was to build pressure and give an opinion to the people that this was some kind of administrative action or political vendetta by rivals. But the court order has nailed all these absurd allegations. They have even tried to use or mortgage their political and parliamentary strength to get some kind of relief in the court of public opinion by building up political pressure. But the reality is, this is a legal case”, Rao said.

PTI