National Herald case: No political vendetta, Congress leaders must face court, says Jaitley
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday dismissed Congress' charge of political vendetta on part of Modi government in the National Herald case.
Attacking the Congress over disruption of Parliament on the issue, he asked party leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to face the courts, saying India is not a banana republic in which Parliament or media can decide the guilt or innocence in such matters.
"No political vendetta. A private complaint was lodged. Government had nothing to do with it. The High Court has dismissed their case and asked them to go and face trial. Nobody in this country has immunity from law. They can challenge the orders in a higher court or face proceedings," he said.
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Jaitley was talking to reporters after both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day after repeated disruptions by Congress members over the Herald case in which the Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the plea of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and others seeking quashing of summons against them and exemption from personal appearance.
Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu echoed Jaitley's view and slammed the Congress for disrupting proceedings in the Parliament.
"They should contest it in court. How can you hold the government responsible? It is totally unfair and irresponsible to fix it on the government as they could not face the truth. They are now trying to blame the government," Naidu told reporters outside Parliament.
He said it was "totally unethical, unfair and undemocratic on the part of the Congress party to obstruct Parliament's functioning on account of the case which has been taken up by the judiciary, where the government has no role to play at all."
