BJP leader Subramanian Swamy Monday told a Delhi court that acquisition of over 99 per cent shares of Associated Journals Ltd, publisher of National Herald newspaper, by Young Indian was not a property case but was a "corruption" matter.
Swamy, during his cross-examination by lawyers of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, both accused in the case, said that the Congress President held 35 per cent shares in YI when the firm took over AJL.
"It is incorrect to suggest that I have maliciously levelled false allegations regarding taking up possession of properties of AJL by YI and now I am trying to divert the issue," the BJP leader testified.
While answering the queries by senior advocates R S Cheema and Ramesh Gupta, Swamy said, "The question of physical possession of the properties is for this case is irrelevant because this case is not for possession but for corruption."
In response to a pointed query as to whether Gandhis had conspired to shut down the publication of newspapers for all times to come, Swamy said, "It is incorrect."