BJP: Congress trying to disrupt Herald probe

NEW DELHI: BJP on Thursday attacked Congress for trying to disrupt investigation of central agencies, demanding to know why the party leadership, including its president Sonia Gandhi blamed late party treasurer Motilal Vora for all the transactions of Young Indian when the Gandhi family was the majority shareholder of the company.
“Why was Motilal Vora being blamed when Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have the rights to control Young Indian Ltd? Voraji is not in this world,” BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said on Thursday at a press meet convened to rebut Congress charges that the saffron party was misusing central agencies to intimidate the Opposition.
Bhatia said Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders were using highly condemnable language against the central agencies and disrupting their investigation when it had been cleared by the courts.
“On behalf of people of the country, BJP is asking five questions from Congress and its leaders,” Bhatia said as he explained how Sonia and Rahul through their 76% shareholding of Young Indian had absolute control over the company that took over Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) and its properties. The BJP leader said that the AJL’s properties are worth over Rs 2,000 crore.
The saffron party also dismissed the stand taken by the Gandhis and other Congress leaders that Motilal Vora alone knew about the transactions that resulted in Young Indian taking over AJL.
The BJP leader said that on December 19, 2015, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi got bail from the trial court, considering them as accused in this case. “They went to the Delhi high court and said that this case has been filed out of political vendetta. But the Delhi high court refused to quash the case. Sonia Gandhi approached the Supreme Court which refused to interfere, too. Don’t they (Sonia and Rahul Gandhi) have faith in the Supreme Court and high court?” Bhatia questioned.
“Why did a company called Dotex give a loan of Rs 1 crore to Young Indian when the latter didn’t have assets of even Re 1?” Bhatia said, alleging that for all the assets acquired by YI, the Gandhis didn’t have to spend any money.
The first instalment of Rs 50 lakh received from Dotex was given as payment to Congress for acquiring AJL and its assets, the BJP leader said. “How did Rahul Gandhi become the owner of Rs 2,000 crore without spending any money, Congress should explain” he said.
The BJP leader asked that when AJL had assets worth Rs 2,000 crore, why was the loan of Rs 90 crore not repaid by disposing of some of its assets.
MP govt to probe Herald assets in state
The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to launch a probe into assets owned by National Herald in the state and whether they are being used for commercial purposes.
Minister for urban administration Bhupendra Singh said on Thursday that the properties of National Herald in Madhya Pradesh will be investigated and if the probe report says they are being commercially used, action will be taken to seal them. Those who are making commercial use of the property or have done it in the past would also face action, he warned.