Bhopal: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday accused the Gandhi family of plundering the people of Madhya Pradesh.
BJP leader Sambit Patra hit out at United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, claiming that the structure built on the land allotted to Associated Journals Limited (AJL) is “a monument of corruption”.
“This press conference is being held at a distinguished location. The importance of this place is, that the building (City Centre) behind us was allotted to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), and was mandated for printing National Herald. This building shows how the Gandhi family plundered the people of Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh,” the BJP leader said while addressing a press conference here.
Furthermore, Patra, in an interview with ANI, said that Rahul Gandhi will have to give an answer for every penny.
On September 10, the Delhi High Court had rejected Rahul and Sonia Gandhi’s plea challenging the Income Tax (IT) notice seeking tax reassessment related to the National Herald and Young India transactions for the financial year 2011-2012.
The Congress President had earlier challenged the IT department’s authority to reopen his tax assessment.
The National Herald scam is an ongoing case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against Sonia, Rahul and four other persons including Congress leader Motilal Vora, alleging that the mother-son duo grabbed the land and committed a fraud by acquiring Associated Journals Limited (AJL), a public limited company, through their private company Young Indian (YI).
Swamy, in his plea, also claimed that the Congress party granted an interest-free loan of Rs. 90.25 crore to AJL which was not repaid, and hence violated Section 269T of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
However, the Congress said that the loan was granted only for reviving the National Herald newspaper without any commercial interest.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]