Smriti Irani
Smriti Irani addressing a press conference at the BJP Head Office in Delhi on Tuesday.ANI

Union Minister Smriti Irani tore into the Gandhi family and Congress President Rahul Gandhi over the National Herald Case. Addressing a press conference at the BJP head office in New Delhi, Irani said that the Gandhis were trying to save themselves.

She said that the Congress was exposed on Monday when the Delhi High Court rejected Rahul Gandhi's and Sonia Gandhi's plea challenging the Income Tax notice seeking tax reassessment for the financial year 2011-2012. 

Targetting the Gandhis, Irani said that Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and Sonia Gandhi wanted to sabotage the taxpayer's money. She said that the Congress was exposed on Monday after former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan made a statement that the scams that happened during the UPA regime resulted in Non-performing assets in the country.

"Raghuram Rajan's statement clearly proved that it is the Congress who is responsible for increased NPA," Irani said. 

Hitting out at Sonia Gandhi, Irani said that Gandhi led a government that attacked the very core of the Indian banking system. " Raghuram Rajan said that between 2006-08, the UPA functioning led to increased NPAs in India's banking structure," she said. 

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with Anganwadi workers on Tuesday, she said that while on one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was working diligently towards the economic upliftment of women who are the foundation of the society, on the other the Gandhis have consistently worked towards their own upliftment. She said that the Congress party has led the country astray. She added that Congress wants free speech curtailed in the country. 

When asked about absconding fugitive Mehul Choksi, Irani said that the question should be asked to investigative agencies. "As a cabinet minister, I must not reply to any such allegation," she said.