Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Sonia Gandhi are set to appear in the Patiala House District Court in Delhi on Saturday afternoon in connection with the National Herald case. The mother and son are among seven people accused of cheating and misappropriation of funds related to the takeover the now-defunct newspaper, which was founded by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The case was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy.
The two Gandhis may not seek bail in the case, according to media reports. NDTV quoted two top Congress leaders as saying they are ready to go to jail if required and their legal defence is being kept a closely guarded secret. The Congress-led Opposition has disrupted both houses of Parliament multiple times since the Delhi High Court on December 7 ordered the two Gandhis to appear before the trial court in the case.
The Congress has been claiming that the action against the Gandhis is sheer political vendetta, while the BJP has maintained that the central government has no role to play in the proceedings as it is a legal matter.
For more details on the National Herald case, here is a Scroll Explainer.
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