NEW DELHI: Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi will appear in a Delhi court on December 19 to face allegations that they illegally acquired property worth Rs. 5,000 crore belonging to the National Herald newspaper, a case over which the Congress forced repeated disruptions in Parliament today.
Mrs Gandhi told reporters: "Why should I be upset? As I told my friends, I am Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law and I am not scared of anybody." Asked whether she and her son Rahul were being targeted for political vendetta, the Congress president replied: "I leave it on you to judge."
Rallying behind their two top leaders, Congress lawmakers stalled both houses of Parliament alleging a political motive behind the case filed by Subramanian Swamy, a BJP leader and a member of its national executive.
Congress members shouted slogans and forced repeated adjournments in both houses.
"The government has no role in the case at all. The case started before our government came," said union minister Venkaiah Naidu.
The Gandhis were to appear in a lower court today, but were granted a new date on their request. "We told the court that the accused are extremely keen, ready and willing to appear before the magistrate at the earliest possible date," said Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing them.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress vice president, is on a visit to flood-hit Chennai.
Yesterday, the Delhi High Court refused to cancel court summons to the two top Congress leaders, saying the allegations "smacked of criminality."
What is referred to as the "National Herald case" is based on Mr Swamy's allegation that Congress leaders gave Rs. 90 crore as loan from tax exempted money to National Herald and acquired the newspaper illegally for just Rs. 50 lakh with the aim of grabbing its properties in Delhi worth thousands of crores.
The National Herald was set up in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister and Rahul Gandhi's great-grandfather. In 2008, Sonia Gandhi decided to shut down the newspaper, which had been struggling for decades with mismanagement and poor earnings.
Rallying behind their two top leaders, Congress lawmakers stalled both houses of Parliament alleging a political motive behind the case filed by Subramanian Swamy, a BJP leader and a member of its national executive.
Congress members shouted slogans and forced repeated adjournments in both houses.
"The government has no role in the case at all. The case started before our government came," said union minister Venkaiah Naidu.
The Gandhis were to appear in a lower court today, but were granted a new date on their request. "We told the court that the accused are extremely keen, ready and willing to appear before the magistrate at the earliest possible date," said Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing them.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress vice president, is on a visit to flood-hit Chennai.
Yesterday, the Delhi High Court refused to cancel court summons to the two top Congress leaders, saying the allegations "smacked of criminality."
What is referred to as the "National Herald case" is based on Mr Swamy's allegation that Congress leaders gave Rs. 90 crore as loan from tax exempted money to National Herald and acquired the newspaper illegally for just Rs. 50 lakh with the aim of grabbing its properties in Delhi worth thousands of crores.
The National Herald was set up in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister and Rahul Gandhi's great-grandfather. In 2008, Sonia Gandhi decided to shut down the newspaper, which had been struggling for decades with mismanagement and poor earnings.
