Breaking its silence, the Congress on Friday rejected allegations levelled by Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy and maintained that its support to National Herald newspaper was interest-free loans yielding no commercial profit to the party.
Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi said in a release the Congress had done its duty in supporting The Associated Journals Limited to help initiate a process to bring the newspaper back to health in compliance with the law of the land. “This support was extended by the Indian National Congress (INC) in the form of interest-free loans from which no commercial profit has accrued to INC,” the release said.
Yesterday, Swamy had alleged Congress gave a loan of Rs 90 crore to Associated Journals that published the now defunct National Herald and Quami Awaz, which was in violation of income tax and election laws.
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He had also said a new company, Young Indian, was floated to take over the functioning of Associated Journals by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son and party general secretary Rahul Gandhi to grab a prized building in the capital and renting it out in violation of laws.
Meanwhile, even as Swamy reiterated his stormy allegations against Congress’s apex leadership, the ruling party indicated it was trying to mobilise a political reply, to these and other recent charges of corruption.
For one, Congress is to hold a rally at the massive Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday to hit out at the Opposition and detractors such as the India Against Corruption movement. The Sunday rally had actually been planned more than a fortnight earlier and was initially meant to counter the opposition parties’ attack on foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail. With the political scenario having undergone a big change since, the rally will be raising other issues as well.
Swamy on Friday challenged Rahul Gandhi to file a case against him. Yesterday, after Swamy had made the charges at a press conference, Rahul Gandhi issued a statement saying he’d be “pursuing all legal remedies” against the “scandalous abuse”.
In reply, Swamy on Friday said, “Either Rahul Gandhi writes a letter or his lawyer writes a letter. Either of those letters, I’ll throw in the waste paper basket without reading. My advice to Rahul Gandhi is: Grow up, go to the court and file a defamation case. I will fight you there.”
Congress spokesperson P C Chacko dared Swamy to sue Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. Adding, “It is for those making allegations to prove charges”.
The party will, for the first time, hold a samvad baithak dialogue session on November 9. The leadership at the Centre, including Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several of his ministers, are to meet in neighbouring Surajkund, to discuss the political and economic situation.
No chief ministers or other leaders from states are being called.
Announcing this, party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said it would be an “informal meeting which will discuss economic challenges and manifesto implementation”. The meeting comes after the recent reshuffle of the council of ministers. There will be no resolutions passed.
The party will then hold a ‘chintan shivir’, a ‘brainstorming session’ of senior functionaries at various levels in the Centre and the states.
