Zeenews Bureau
Shimla: Raising the political fever in the poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, BJP on Friday made a blistering attack on Congress and demanded a clarification from it regarding the allegations of fraud leveled by Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy against party president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi.
Addressing a press conference in the state’s capital, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said that the Congress leadership must issue an explanation over the issue.
Jaitley said alleged Congress was violating provisions of Representation of People's Act. The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha also highlighted the Associated Journals board document produced by Swamy, which says that AICC gave them an unsecured loan of Rs 90 crores.
Jaitley termed it "grossest impropriety besides being a gross illegality.”
"The country expects a fair answer from Congress on Swamy's allegations." Jaitley said.
"This would be the first case in India that a political party (Congress) is using its resources for a commercial purpose," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Swamy in a press conference had said that Sonia and Rahul had floated a Section 25 company called 'Young Indian' each with a share holding of 38 per cent, which acquired Associated Journals, founded by late Jawaharlal Nehru, that published the National Herald and Quami Awaz.
Swamy said Associated Journals obtained an unsecured loan of over Rs 90 crore from AICC which he claimed was illegal under Income Tax Act because a political party cannot give loans for commercial purposes.
First Published: Friday, November 02, 2012, 16:56