It was the show of solidarity: Sheila Dikshit on National Herald case hearing

Dikshit: Congress as a party was very confident that nothing wrong has been done. And, reputation of Gandhi family is built over decades and decades and their functioning style is so nationalistic that question of their involvement does not arise. The case has been cooked up by Subramanian Swamy. The case is something that could be sensationalise.

IE- The legal case is filed under section 420 read with section 120 B etc… but it has been turned into a political event today.

Dikshit: No, you see, it has not been done so by the Congress. It is a political vendetta of Subramanian Swamy. And, what you saw today is the solidarity of the Congress. Nobody was asked to come. It was a spontaneous thing. No buses or trucks were sent. Everybody thought it’s a matter of prestige of our leadership and Congress, itself. This case was cleared by Enforcement Directorate. There is no case against National Herald or Young Indian. It was reopened once the officer was changed. You tend to develop suspicion about it.

IE: How do you compare it with post-1977 years when Mrs. Indira Gandhi was arrested?

Dikshit: Every time it shows one thing. When Mrs. Gandhi lost and Congress started efforts to revive they (Janta party leaders) got frightened and they started filing cases and arrested her and put her in jail. She put up a fight. Sonia Gandhi has, also, said that she is not going to be frightened at all, nor Congress party. It is quite similar, even, though circumstances are different, time has changed. The party, with whom you are dealing with, in power is different. But, this kind of vendetta against Congress is done by our political rivals time and again. But, I think the party and the family is not going to take it lying down when there is no truth in it.

IE: The way people had gathered and the way Gandhis took entry into the court premises don’t you think Gandhis have established, once more, their supremacy in the party in adverse circumstances, also?

Dikshit: What do you mean by “once more”? Other people have doubted it, but you know, Congressmen have never doubted it. Under the leadership of Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru and thereafter, this family has kept Congress together and the nation together.

Please don’t forget that Congress party does not divide the nation as currently BJP is doing. Whenever occasion arises Congressmen rise up. We see this challenge as the attack on institution that Congress had set up.

IE: What is the political message of presence of Priyanka Vadra in the court?

Dikshit: Priyanka was there because she was to provide “surety” for Rahul Gandhi. She is his sister, please remember that. She was there to provide surety. It was a natural act of a sister.