Stepping up its attack on the top Congress leaders, the BJP on Thursday levelled charges against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case saying they have “a lot to answer”.
BJP alleged that ‘Young Indian’, a company in which Congress president and her son are said to have majority stake, had borrowed a sum of `one crore from a firm, which was allegedly involved in converting black money into white.
Claiming that this was just the “tip of the iceberg”, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a Press conference “the first family” of Indian politics should provide answers to questions being raised by them.
The Congress, however, dismissed it saying that the BJP was levelling baseless charges as it sensed imminent defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections.
Patra claimed that around December 2010, a company, ‘Young Indian’, in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have 38 per cent shares, each was formed.
“If somebody has 76 per cent shares of a company then naturally, they have the ownership rights,” Patra said, adding that 24 per cent shares were held by Congress leaders Oscar Fernandes and Motilal Vora.
He further claimed that in a meeting held at 10 Janpath, on September 23, 2014, a proposal was placed before the board of this firm for one year extension in repaying the loan borrowed from a private company.
The BJP spokesperson said that when activities of Dotex Merchandise were looked into by authorities, details that emerged were “murky”.
Patra claimed that the owner of the company has told Income Tax authorities in Kolkata about the activities of his firms — including on converting black money into white.
Patra said when the loan was taken by ‘Young Indian’ the Congress-led UPA was in power and had the machinery to find out antecedents of the firm.
“This one crore is just the tip of the iceberg. We ask the Congress, whose black money is thisIJ Does this belong to Coalgate, CWG, 2G or jijajiIJ (a reference to Robert Vadra) The Congress should explain,” Patra said attacking the Congress leadership.
“A leading television channel has made a big revelation. And the revelation is about ‘Hawalabaji’ by mother and son of the Congress first family. The revelation is about how black money is generated and used. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have a lot to answer,” said BJP spokesperson.
Patra alleged that a new face of corruption has emerged on the occasion the day of ‘Dussehra.’
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has filed a complaint, saying that Congress leaders were involved in cheating and breach of trust in the acquisition of Associated Journals ltd (AJl) by Young Indian Pvt ltd (YIl).
A trial court had on June 26 last year directed Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Congress treasurer Moti lal Vora, Congress leader Oscar Fernandes along with several others to appear before it on August 7, 2014, on Swamy’s complaint.