Herald case: Sonia and Rahul oppose Swamy's plea

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday opposed as "vague and devoid of material particulars" BJP MP Subramanian Swamy's plea seeking summoning of witnesses in the National Herald case.

The Gandhis, who are accused in the case along with some other Congress leaders, contended that Swamy's plea was "in the nature of a fishing and roving enquiry which is not permissible in law".

The submissions were made in the reply filed to Swamy's list of witnesses and other evidence given to Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen in the case.

"The application preferred by the complainant (Swamy) is vague and devoid of material particulars and is in the nature of a fishing and roving enquiry which is not permissible in law," the written reply filed by the accused said.

"Swamy has proceeded to enlist the witnesses and enumerate a number of documents without divulging the dates or relevant period for most of the documents sought to be summoned through the said witnesses," the accused said. The court, thereafter, listed the matter for further hearing on April 22 after Swamy sought time to go through the submissions made before arguments on the matter could begin.