Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi may not apply for bail in the National Herald case on Wednesday.
The Congress leaders, who are due to appear in the trial court on Saturday, were willing to go to jail to prove their innocence.
Top sources in the Congress said that the Gandhis “are not inclined to seek bail and are ready to go to jail if required.” Their legal defence in the case will be a close-guarded secret till the appearance in court, they said.
The Congress is also preparing to stage a show of strength in the capital on that day, sources said. It has summoned its chief ministers and other state leaders for a meeting at the party headquarters, 24 Akbar Road, in New Delhi and all its lawmakers from both Houses of Parliament have also been asked to be present. They are likely to stage a march.
The case, filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, accuses the Gandhis and four others of forming a company with the intention of acquiring property belonging to the now defunct newspaper National Herald that was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru. The seventh entity summoned in the case is Young Indian, the company formed by them, in which the Gandhis own 76 per cent shares.
Congress workers are expected to be present in large numbers at the Patiala House Court.
Congress has been protesting in Parliament on the National Herald issue alleging political vendetta after the Delhi High Court refused to quash summonses to its leaders including Sonia and Rahul.
Congress president and vice president suffered a big jolt on December 07 when the Delhi High Court rejected their pleas for quashing the summons against them in the case.
Making scathing observations on the “questionable conduct” regarding how they took control of the publication, Justice Sunil Gaur also turned down the plea of Gandhis and five others for exemption from personal appearance in the case in the trial court where it was listed for December 09.
Along with the Gandhis, five other accused – Suman Dubey, Moti Lal Vohra, Oscar Fernandez, Sam Pitroda and Young India Ltd – had challenged the summons issued to them by a trial court on a complaint by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against them for alleged cheating and misappropriation of funds in taking control of the now-defunct Daily.
