Arun Jaitley was speaking outside Parliament after both Houses were adjourned for the day due to protests by Congress members over the National Herald case
Rejecting the Congress's charge of political vendetta by the government in the National Herald case, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son and vice president Rahul should face the court.
Mr Jaitley said India is not a banana republic in which Parliament or the media can decide the guilt or innocence in such matters.
"No political vendetta. A private complaint was lodged. 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.
Mr Jaitley's comments come after Rahul Gandhi earlier today said he "absolutely saw political vendetta" in the case. "This is the way the union government tries to silence me. It will not happen and I will continue to ask questions and put pressure on the government," the Congress Vice President said in Puducherry.
Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day today after repeated disruptions by Congress members over the Herald case. The Congress accused the ruling party of targeting its leaders through Subramanian Swamy, the BJP leader who filed the National Herald case.
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi will appear in a Delhi court on December 19 to face allegations that they illegally acquired property worth Rs 5,000 crore belonging to the National Herald newspaper, in what the Congress alleges is "persecution" of its leaders.
The Gandhis were to appear in a lower court today, but were granted a new date on their request.
The "National Herald case" is based on Mr Swamy's allegation that Congress leaders gave Rs 90 crore as loan from tax exempted money to National Herald and acquired the newspaper illegally for just Rs 50 lakh with the aim of grabbing its properties in Delhi worth thousands of crores.