New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday filed a caveat before the Supreme Court (SC), urging the apex court not to pass any order without hearing him.


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The high court has rejected both the stay and exemption. I expect, as they are law-abiding people, they don't want to run away from the case after saying that there is no evidence, there is no basis and there is nothing. They should appear in the court and argue there. But, if they want to go to the Supreme Court, I have filed a caveat today, and the apex court, therefore, will not take any decision without hearing me also," Swamy told reporters here in response to the Delhi High Court's refusing to quash a lower court's summons to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi and four others in the National Herald case.


"It took 15 months of arguments, and finally the judge comes to the conclusion that there is a prima facie case and the magistrate has applied her mind, and therefore, has directed them to return and appear before the magistrate," he said, adding that if the Congress leaders want to delay the matter they may appeal to the Supreme Court and seek a stay, and perhaps exemption from appearance.


"If they fail to appear before the court, it can issue warrants as well. The trial, I hope, will go on day-to-day basis and bring the matter to a conclusion in a short period of three-four months, as this is the most scandalous case we have seen in the Modern India," said Swamy.


"Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have set up a company with just Rs. 5-lakh capital, and by all kinds of conspiracy they were able to acquire the Associated Journals Limited, which is the company that was publishing National Herald, which has Rs. 5,000 crore worth of property - all given by the government on concessional terms to publish newspapers. So, this kind of fraud has been exposed, and I am confident that in the trial they will be convicted and go to jail," he claimed.


When asked would he oppose the bail petition, the BJP leader said he would be. "Among the accused two are foreigners, but not having foreign passports, which is a big question. Sam Pitroda is a US citizen, who can run away anytime. Therefore, they should not be granted bail until the trial is finished."


Earlier, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is also a renowned advocate: "We intend to not only challenge it on all legal recourses available at the appropriate forum - which I am not going into detail as the matter is sub judice - and we intend to seek a continuation of the exemption and stay, which has been continued for over a year when the matter was pending in the high court."


Apart from the Gandhis, the court also dismissed the pleas of Congress treasurer Motilal Vora, family friend Suman Dubey and party leader Oscar Fernandes, who had moved the high court for quashing of summons to them by a trial court.


On 26 June, the trial court had issued summons to the Congress leaders on Swamy's complaint. Swamy has complained about "cheating" and "breach of trusts" in the acquisition of Associated Journals Limited - the publisher of National Herald - by a company called Young Indian Limited, in which the Gandhis reportedly hold shares.