Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi led his party's attack on the government regarding the National Herald Case on Tuesday. Proceedings at both Houses of Parliament were brought to a halt after Congress leaders protested against the Centre. Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have both been accused in the case, which the Opposition has called the Bharatiya Janata Party's "political vendetta".
Rahul Gandhi said he had "full faith in the judiciary" and that this was the BJP's "way of doing politics", while Union minister Venkaiah Naidu hit out at opposition parties for paralysing the Parliament for a second consecutive day. Other Opposition parties also backed the Congress in disrupting the Houses on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Opposition has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party's pursuit of the case is just political vendetta against the Congress.
The continuing protests are stalling the Goods and Service Taxes Bill, which the Centre was hoping to pass during the winter session. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held talks with Sonia Gandhi last week about the GST Bill, but despite appearing amenable then, the Congress has stalled the legislation and all other proceedings in Parliament for now.
The National Herald case was filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. The Congress had loaned Rs 90.25 crore to the publisher of National Herald Associated Journals Ltd. On December 28, 2010, it had assigned this debt for Rs 50 lakh to charitable company Young India Ltd., in which some Congress members are directors. This, according to Swamy, amounted to a breach of trust and cheating.
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