Mumbai/New Delhi, Nov.2 (ANI): Congress Party activists took to the streets on Friday to protest against Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy, a day after the latter had accused Rahul Gandhi of running a fraud company and for misusing government facilities.
Swamy had levelled charges against chief of Congress party, Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul Gandhi stating that they had grabbed property worth billion by misusing their influence in the government.
He alleged that Congress Party, by violating rules, gave an unsecured and interest free loan of Rs.90 crore to the Associated Journals Private Limited, which was later taken over by a company named 'Young Indian' for five million rupees, jointly owned 76 per cent by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi.
Swamy demanded an investigation by the federal probe agency, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and urged the Election Commission to take action against the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, who allegedly didn't disclose about this company in his affidavit to while filing his affidavit for 2009 polls.
Criticising Swamy for levelling baseless allegations, Congress Leader Harish Rawat described him as an unpredictable political freelancer.
"Subramanian Swami is a political freelancer who can say anything at any point of time. I consider him a spoiled genius. He should make use of his capability towards the development of the nation instead of levelling allegations. We all know that what relations Nehru Gandhi family shares with Herald. They had given their ancestral property to raise Herald. The country will not tolerate if you level allegations by using some technicalities," said Rawat.
India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had founded the Associated Journals, which published 'National Herald' and 'Quami Awaz' newspapers during freedom struggle in 1938.
Its properties in Delhi and Lucknow in northern state of Uttar Pradesh are believed to be worth 1600 crores (900 million rupees).
Echoing similar views, senior leader of Congress party, Motilal Vora said that the information provided by the office of Rahul Gandhi was satisfactory.
"I just know that the information given by the office of Rahul Gandhi is sufficient," said Vora.
Swamy claimed that meetings of the company were held at Sonia Gandhi's government-allotted official residence, violating prescribed legal norms.
The Gandhi family has been increasingly targeted by anti graft crusaders ever since Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra has been accused of illegal land deals with the DLF company, by anti graft crusader Arvind Kejriwal.
Vadra, a flamboyant businessman, who is married to the daughter of the ruling Congress party chief, Priyanka Gandhi had denied the accusations, levelled by Kejriwal.
Kejriwal, who is set to announce the name of his political party in late November, has also accused federal ministers, including Salman Khurshid of shielding Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi against graft allegations.
Fed up with the numerous multi-billion dollar scams uncovered in government, and the constant need to pay bribes for free public services, thousands took to the streets in August 2011, as India's social activist Anna Hazare, Kejriwal and others activists such as former top police officer Kiran Bedi - the first woman to join the Indian police service - held a series of hunger strikes and protests in New Delhi and elsewhere. (ANI)
