Smriti Irani launches scathing attack on Congress; questions Rahul, Sonia over 'Herald' case

Irani said Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and Sonia Gandhi wanted to sabotage the taxpayer's money but now they have to face questions.

Image: ANI

New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on Congress president Rahul Gandhi over national Herald case, Union Minister Smriti Irani, said that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have plundered the taxpayer’s money. In a press conference, the Textiles Minister attacked Congress and said that two incidents that expose the party have come to the fore on Monday, the first one being former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan’s statement over NPA and bad loans. Citing Rajan’s statement, she said that it was Congress and its futile policies that led to increased NPA. “Sonia Gandhi led a government that attacked the very core of the Indian banking system. Raghuram Rajan said that between 2006-08, the UPA functioning led to increased NPAs in India's banking structure”, she said. Coming to the National Herald case, she said  Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and Sonia Gandhi wanted to sabotage the taxpayer's money but now they have come under questions. She said what Rahul and Sonia did was an attempt to rob the taxpayers of their own money. She asked : “ Rahul Gandhi’s company ‘Young Indians’ which was declared a non-profit company  buys a commercial company for what purpose? He owes an answer to the question, she said. She lashed at Gandhi for approaching courts to stop the media from covering the case. She said that the Gandhis were trying to save themselves. Irani said that National Herald company has become 99% owner of properties worth crores at many places in the country including Delhi, Mumbai, and Haryana among others. The attack on Rahul Gandhi comes just a day after the Delhi High Court dealt a major setback to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi after it dismissed their plea challenging the re-opening of their Income Tax assessment for the year 20122-2012 related to the National Herald case. It is to be noted that Rahul Gandhi’s Young Indians faced allegations of irregularities under which loans were reportedly misrepresented for the alleged benefit of the Gandhis. The Income Tax department has alleged that Rahul Gandhi has concealed facts in his Income Tax declarations, a claim strongly denied by him. The IT department had thus sought reassessment of the tax for the mother-son duo. Watch here: