Punjab Cong hold state-wide protest

Punjab Congress today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of resorting to "political terrorism" to stifle the voice of opposition party by "falsely" implicating Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi in National Herald case.
The party activists held demonstrations and burnt effigies of Modi at district headquarters in the state.
Addressing the media here, senior Congress leader and former CLP leader Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Sunil Jakhar today said the BJP government at the Centre was resorting to "political terrorism" in an attempt to tifle the voice of dissent and the voice of opposition.
Jakhar said the BJP government was trying to divert the public attention by dragging Sonia Gandhi, Vice President Rahul Gandhi and others to the court, as it was "frustrated" since it had failed deliver anything in past 18-months after having assuming power people.

He said it was the outcome of the "dictatorial" mindset of the party which has been openly claiming to finish not only the Congress but entire opposition.
The former CLP leaders pointed out how BJP leaders have been saying that they want a 'Congress-mukt' India (an India rid of Congress). Jakhar said they will never succeed in their dictatorial designs and no matter how much misinformation they try to spread, Congress will always fight it and defeat them.

"They had tried to do the same thing in 1977 with Indira Gandhi, and failed, and they are trying to do same thing with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and they will fail this time also", Jakhar asserted.

Ridiculing BJP claims that it had nothing to do with the
case, he asked, what is the locus standi of the senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in approaching the court and seeking criminal proceedings against the Congress leaders.
The former CLP leader said the BJP had suitably rewarded Swamy as only yesterday the central government allotted a palatial bungalow to him in Delhi otherwise entitled to the ministers only.
Referring to the transfer of shares of the Associated Journals Limited (AJL) to the new company Young Indians, he said it was only aimed at reviving the National Herald newspaper founded by former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

"Not a single penny, leave aside the assets, has been transferred from anyone to any other person nor can it be transferred in future," he claimed.
Jakhar also made a plea to Election Commission of India to
reject Swamy's plea seeking action against the Congress in the same matter for providing Rs 90 crores loan to the AJL.
He said the ECI had ruled that the political parties were free to use the money as they wanted. He said even the BJP had spent money on its two newspapers and showed the expenses incurred as the business losses.
He wondered as why Swamy did not raise similar questions with regard to his own party.

Referring to the status of assets, the Congress leader clarified that these were and will continue to remain in the name of AJL only although some shareholders wanted these to be liquidated to make up for the losses and outstanding payments.
He said Congress is committed to safeguard the legacy inherited from its great leaders at any cost and the BJP will never succeed in its disinformation campaign it has launched against Congress and its leaders.
Meanwhile, Congress workers led by former railway minister
Pawan Bansal and Chandigarh Congress President Pradeep Chhabra also held a protest rally in Chandigarh.