National Herald case: Sonia, Rahul may not invoke Indira's 'give me handcuffs' dare, may get home in time for tea

Mrs ‘arris went to Paris. The Gandhis are going to court armed with bail bonds. Will it be a massive sensation or will it fizzle out? The Gandhi family loves the taste of martyrdom. And they do have a sense of the occasion. Indira Gandhi sprinkled it with zest and vigour, her ‘give me handcuffs’ appeal on a roadside culvert at the Delhi border after her arrest in October 1977 made the Janata government look silly and inept and gave her theatrics legendary status. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi’s legal team is set to appear before court Saturday armed with bail bonds, newspaper reports have confirmed. The Gandhis’ legal team figured that “it will serve no purpose” if they don’t seek bail because the case is “politically motivated,” reports The Indian Express. [caption id=“attachment_2551410” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Pale, off-white clothes and a dash of martyrdom, maybe?[/caption] Sonia Gandhi and Rahul may have an opportunity to outperform the Indian Iron lady as they march off to answer a summons in court pertaining to the embezzlement of thousands of crores in what has come to be known as the National Herald case. Simply clad, pale and stoic would be their tone, perhaps off-white clothes and an expression of wounded dismay with a bit of stiff upper lip and a ‘what else can you expect’ look on their faces. Stonefaced Mum and ‘what me worry’ son. They probably have rehearsed their entry and will silently ooze suffering while their supporters will make all the noise outside the premises that might stretch into a law and order problem in the city. The whole aim will be to twist the situation around as an indictment of the Modi-led government and display it as evidence of non-governance and what has been labelled ‘vendetta politics.’ Subramanian Swamy has petitioned the courts filing charges against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Oscar Fernandes and Motilal Vora of “fraud, (offences under Section 420), breach of trust, conspiracy.” Drama in the court itself is unlikely and one imagines after they have pleaded ‘not guilty’ to whatever charges are read out bail will be set, paid and they will go home for tea, if not lunch. One cannot see them being physically detained at this point especially once they enter the ‘not guilty’ plea. Even if they are arrested (which technically could happen) one cannot see them being confined to a holding cell. Legal experts tell Firstpost the entire legal procedure could be thoroughly devoid of drama and get over in a matter of few minutes, maximum half and hour. If there are any theatrics we will have to look to the Congress rank and file who will want to whip as much anti-Modi sentiment as they can. For them every negative scenario is exploitable and packaged as evidence that the BJP is engaged in a witch-hunt, not in running the country. Since for the mother and son it is their date in court, it makes sense to go through the formalities swiftly and dispense with the case for the day so that the part cadre is not given enough time to foment trouble and cause disruptions in the capital. They are already making inflammatory statements about what they will do by way of protests in case the Gandhis are detained. The longer the duo are made to sit there in the courthouse the more the chances of there being clashes between Congress and BJP workers. Most likely, they will, along with five others, give an assurance of appearing when summoned and surrender their passports or agree to seek permission from the court before travelling abroad. That guarantee should satisfy the needs of the law. The public perception to the Subramanian Swamy gambit at this moment is one of casual indifference and the mood seems to have made more sombre by the disruptions in Parliament than by this flurry of accusations. He is seen neither as a crusader or a hero, just as a person lost in yesterday trying hard to gain attention today. This sideshow hasn’t captured much attention outside Delhi and is seen as more of the same with patience wearing thin over the long string of accusations and counter accusations between these two parties. But it could balloon into a major national crisis if the Gandhis are incarcerated. Legally, proving the Gandhis guilty of malfeasance will take a long time and only get more confusing by each hearing. It is also in legal speak a very tenuous linkage and not easy to prove deliberate criminal conduct. Sadly, the spill-over will hit Parliament’s functioning and the final four days are not likely to see much work done and it will need a miracle to pass the GST bill which will now be placed on hold till April 2016. Perhaps the only advantage for Saturday is that the Kejriwal-Modi impasse will be eclipsed by this appearance and he can take a day off from badmouthing the Prime Minister.

#NationalHerald case: Sonia, #RahulGandhi may seek bail https://t.co/fC66v7EAIm

— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) December 18, 2015

#GandhisInDock | Nothing political about #NationalHerald case: Subramanian Swamy
(File picture) pic.twitter.com/KjYIO50hN3

— News18 (@CNNnews18) December 18, 2015

Congress vs BJP: Who said what on the #NationalHerald issue https://t.co/UAvKR5NdW6 pic.twitter.com/bFIr1WeIZO

— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) December 18, 2015

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#NationalHerald case: Security increased at Patiala House Court https://t.co/u53RgJ3RB7 pic.twitter.com/OllHZPzQP3

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