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Congress pressurising probe agency to protect Gandhi family assets: Smriti Irani
National Herald case: Union minister Smriti Irani alleged that a firm set up to serve the society was now limited to serving the interests of the Gandhi family.
Union minister Smriti Irani on Monday slammed the Congress ‘Satyagraha’ march to extend solidarity to Rahul Gandhi, who is being quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case.
Alleging a ‘blatant attempt’ by the Gandhi family to hold investigating agencies to ransom, Irani said, "Congress leaders have taken to the streets to pressurize an investigating agency openly because their corruption has been exposed...It's an attempt to protect the assets of the Gandhi family,” she said.
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“In the 1930s, Associate Journals Limited was formed with 5,000 freedom fighters as shareholders. Today, a company that was to be run by freedom fighters has been usurped by the Gandhi family,” the minister said.
"It is projected that the intent of the AJL was to publish newspapers. However, in 2008, it seemed the company declared it shall no longer publish newspapers but will go into the business of real estate. It is publicly known that the Congress party has waived off a loan of ₹90 crores," she added.
The minister asked the donors who donated the money to Congress, “Did you know that the Congress party instead of utilising that money for public gain and public service, utilised it to profit the Gandhi family?"
Alleging that the Gandhi family invited people to protect their interests, Irani said the move spoke volumes of its political character.
The union minister's scathing attack comes amid high drama which unfolded in the national capital amid Rahul Gandhi's appearance before the Enforcement Directorate. Since the morning, several Congress workers were arrested by the Delhi Police as they protested.
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Accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Gandhi marched from the Congress headquarters to the ED office. The Congress party had called the ED action "vendetta". It has termed the charges "fake and baseless" and added that the summonses to the Gandhis was part of the BJP's "vendetta politics".
