National Herald Case: Congress leader Ashwani Kumar hails SC's order to exempt Sonia and Rahul Gandhi

Senior Congress leader Ashwani Kumar on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court order in the National Herald case saying it fully vindicates the position of the party and its leaders as regards the observations of the Delhi High Court on criminality, which have been expunged.

Reacting to the apex court order, he said in a statement that there was further vindication of the position of the Congress leaders when the court granted them exemption from personal appearance in the trial court during the hearing.

Kumar, a senior advocate who is part of the strategic team of party counsel in the case, said as far as the trial was concerned the Congress party has always affirmed its irrevocable faith in the integrity of the judicial process. That was why, the Rajya Sabha member said, the Congress leadership appeared in the trial court on the very first date of summoning.

"We believe that through a fair trial and an independent judicial process, truth will prevail and the position of the Congress party and its leaders will be fully vindicated while the motivated prosecution will fall to the ground," the former union minister said.