Sonia and Rahul Gandhi will appear before the trial court on December 19.
On a day that saw Sonia Gandhi exhibit rare aggression and her party stall Parliament over charges against the Congress chief and her son Rahul in the National Herald case, the BJP-led government fielded a battery of ministers to counter the Congress's charge of 'political vendetta.
Leading the government's charge, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the government or Parliament had nothing to do with the Delhi High Court's decision to not stay the summons to Mrs Gandhi and the Congress vice president. The BJP has nothing do with what the courts decide, he said in the Rajya Sabha.
"We are not a banana republic... Parliament or journalists do not decide who is guilty," he told journalists. "A private complaint was lodged. The government had nothing to do with it. The High Court has dismissed their case and asked them to go and face trial. Nobody in this country has immunity from law. They can challenge the orders in a higher court or face proceedings," he said.
Mrs Gandhi had earlier told NDTV, "I am Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law and I am not afraid of anyone or anything." Touring rain hit areas in Tamil Nadu, Rahul Gandhi alleged political vendetta in Cuddalore.
Reacting to the Congress President's dare, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit back. "Who doesn't know that she is Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law? We just want her, if anything and if it is required by the court, to appear in the court and say so and with proof," she said. "With the proof that no penal provisions have been violated. Why is she afraid of the court?" Ms Sitharaman countered.
Minister after minister repeated that the government had nothing to do with the court's decision and that the Congress's protests were misplaced. "Can the government dictate the court," said Law Minister Sadanand Gowda. "Prime facie a case was made out for criminal breach of trust," IT and Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.