Stepping up his attack in the National Herald case, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday filed a petition to Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, demanding taking over the controversial Herald House building by Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
In his petition, Swamy said Herald House was appropriated by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi by floating a private company called Young Indian and DDA which allotted the land, should take over as there is no publishing activity there.
“DDA now has the right to enter the said premises and take it over because it is being misused by Young Indian for collecting rent at exhorbitant rates by letting out the premises to a number of corporate parties and the Passport of MEA,” said Swamy.
DDA allotted land to Associated Journal limited (AJl) in early 70s for printing and publishing of National Herald newspaper and the paper has become defunct from 2008. Swamy said as the trail court to Supreme Court has ratified the prima facie cheating and fraud in the case, the DDA should take over the building as the land belongs to it. AJl lost all right to continue in the building from 2008, as when they stopped the publishing activity, he said.
“I may also say that the AJl properties in Harayna, Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai have been taken over the respective State Governments since my complaint case was filed in the Patiala House Courts. Hence, I urge you to do the same thing with the Herald House on Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, New Delhi,” said Swamy.