Swamy opposes Rahul Gandhi’s plea for NoC on fresh passport.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Wednesday opposed a plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi before a Delhi Court seeking issuance of a fresh passport.
Appearing before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vaibhav Mehta, Gandhi’s counsel, Tarannum Cheema, said that he can be granted a no-objection certificate.
The Court noted that in the order granting bail to Gandhi no restrictions were put.
However, the Court also opined that Swamy has the right to file a reply to Gandhi’s plea.
Thus, the case was listed for further hearing on May 26.
According to Swamy, if Gandhi is allowed to travel abroad, it may hamper the probe in the National Herald case which pertains to the assignment of a ₹90 crore loan advanced by the Congress party to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the owner of the National Herald, to Young Indian for a consideration of ₹50 lakh.
In his private complaint, Subramanian Swamy had accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and Gandhi family-controlled Young Indian of cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of property.
Rahul Gandhi approached the court after surrendering his diplomatic passport due to his disqualification as a Member of Parliament (MP).
The parliamentarian was disqualified as an MP after being convicted for criminal defamation for on March 23 for his remark “all thieves have Modi surname” which he had made at an election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar in 2019.
Gandhi had, in his speech linked Prime Minister Narendra Modi with fugitives like Nirav Modi and Lalit Modi.
He had said,”Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi, Narendra Modi. How come all the thieves have ‘Modi’ as a common surname?”
Purnesh Modi, a former BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), took exception to the said speech claiming that Gandhi humiliated and defamed persons with the Modi surname.
The magistrate court in Surat accepted the contention of Modi that by his speech, Gandhi has intentionally insulted the people with a ‘Modi’ surname.
A sessions judge refused to stay the Magistrate court conviction. Appeal against the same is pending before the High Court which is slated to pronounce its verdict in June.
Advocates Tarannum Cheema, Nikhil Bhalla and Sumit Kumar appeared for Rahul Gandhi.
Subramanian Swamy was assisted by Advocate Satya Sabharwal.
