New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday blasted the Congress party and the Gandhi family in the wake of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal's decision on Friday and said for Congress, family and commerce run hand-in-hand, and that they are integrally linked and given a political color.
The ITAT had upheld the Income Tax Department's withdrawal of the charitable' status of "Young Indian" from the assessment year 2011-12.
Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters, 'There is a judicial affirmation, in the light of all the facts which I've placed before you, that family and commerce go hand in hand and the family invokes platforms and dubious methods for enrichment.'
'The truth regarding the family that highlights its legacy and its contribution to the Independence struggle is out for everyone to see,' he added.
He also asked both (Rahul) Gandhi and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi whether they will tell the nation the truth about this entire engagement?
'Will they answer the questions of the people of the country?' Mr Prasad asked.
'After the Vadra Model of Development, this is the Family Model of Development. They teach you to become owners of properties worth Rs 2,000 crore at an investment of just Rs 50 lakhs. The Rs 2000 crore is just an assumption, it could be even higher,' Mr Prasad added.
The senior BJP leader said Jawaharlal Nehru had started the National Herald newspaper, which stopped in 2008. Even after that, Rs 90 crore were given to the paper, and government property worth Rs 2,000 crore were handed to it. In 2010, Young India Ltd was formed and was exempted from Income Tax. Sonia, Rahul Gandhi, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda were part of this company.
"We have no hesitation in holding that the entire transaction of transferring the shares of AJL to Young India was nothing but, as held by the learned Court, a clandestine and surreptitious transfer of lucrative interests in the premises to Young India,' he said.
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