"Insult to the country and the law": Congress MP Vivek Tankha condemns BJP leader's remarks on SC

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 20 (ANI): Congress MP and senior advocate Vivek Tankha on Sunday condemned BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's remarks about the Supreme Court, stating that such statements undermine the judiciary and "insult" the nation.
"This statement is being condemned in the entire country. This is an insult to the country and the law. They started doing such verification campaigns against the Supreme Court when it gave an order against them (BJP)," Tankha told reporters in Raipur.
Tankha's comments follow recent statements made by Dubey, in which the BJP MP accused the Supreme Court of overstepping its constitutional mandate and allegedly interfering with legislative powers. The remarks sparked widespread criticism from legal professionals and opposition leaders.
Tankha further addressed Union Minister Piyush Goyal's recent remarks on the National Herald case. Responding to allegations related to financial control and ownership, Tankha clarified the corporate structure involved.
"Young India became the shareholder of AGL. It is a protected company and its profits can't go anywhere. The control of it still lies with Gandhi family. Why the case then?" he said.
On Saturday, Union Minister Piyush Goyal attacked the Congress, alleging a massive financial scam involving Rs 5,000 crore by the Gandhi family in the National Herald case and called it an "open and shut scandal."
He also questioned the role of central investigative agencies, alleging political misuse. "ED is the station of Union Home Minister," Tankha added, referring to the Enforcement Directorate's involvement in the National Herald probe.
Speaking to the media, Union Minister Goyal alleged that the Gandhi family had "hatched a plot" to usurp public property, originally allocated for journalistic purposes under the National Herald newspaper, for personal gain.
"The Gandhi family has been caught trying to take away property currently valued at Rs 5,000 crore, which should rightfully belong to the people of India," Goyal stated.
He emphasised that such assets, given by central and state governments to media institutions, are meant to protect press freedom, not to become tools of private enrichment.
"The Gandhi family has been caught trying to take away property currently valued at Rs 5000 crore, which should rightfully belong to the people of India. When land or other assets are given by any government--central or state to a media house, either free or at a concessional rate to the media, the effort is to promote the freedom of the press and the right of our citizens to know what is happening in the country," he said.
The National Herald, once promoted by the Congress, had been allotted properties across India to serve the media, however, the publication shut down decades ago, and according to Goyal, its assets became the centre of a conspiracy.
"National Herald was a newspaper promoted by the Congress, and had received several properties all over the country from governments to promote the objective of the media. The newspaper closed down many years ago. The Gandhi family hatched a plot, by which they gave 90 cr rupees as a loan to the Congress party to Associated Journals Limited, which owns National Herald," he alleged.
He explained the alleged scam: "The Congress gave Rs 90 crore to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), which owned the National Herald. Political donations raised from the public cannot be diverted like this--it was the first irregularity."
Goyal went on to claim that a company named Young Indian was later created, in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi hold 76 per cent ownership, acquired by paying only Rs 50 lakh. "This is not just irregular--it's unbelievable and unimaginable," he said.
"I condemn the Gandhi family for considering the nation's property as their own. I also condemn the Congress Party for facilitating this transfer of Rs 5,000 crore worth of property into private hands," Goyal asserted. (ANI)