The publisher of the National Herald newspaper, who was ordered by the Centre, to vacate its headquarters at ‘Herald House’ building by November 15, got a last minute breather on Thursday with the Delhi High Court directing status quo till November 22. However, the court did not stay the eviction notice, issued by Urban Development Ministry, which started eviction proceedings in the morning. Meanwhile, the Governor gave CBI sanction to prosecute former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda for the alleged illegalities in the allotment of land in Panchkula for the National Herald newspaper.
In its petition in Delhi HC, the Associated Journal Limited (AJL), publisher of National Herald alleged that the proceedings by the Urban Development Ministry were being initiated for the purposes of “scuttling the voices of dissent” and the voice of the largest Opposition party in the country, a reference to the Congress.
Without naming the BJP, the AJL’s lawyer and Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi further alleged that the order issued under pressure and directives from the ruling party at the Centre is vitiated by malafides, bias and had “oblique political motives”. Singhvi said that the Government’s actions were purely politically motivated and based on BJP MP Subramanian Swamy’s petition.
Singhvi pointed out that the Centre has started eviction proceedings in the Herald House and argued that it is unfair when the matter is seized with the court. This was refuted by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and the court asked Singhvi to ask his clients to verify the submission. After a few minutes, Singhvi on instructions told the court that he has photographs of the two officials and said that their names were — Gopal Rastogi and K R Rana.
While Mehta said the matter would be looked into, Justice Sunil Gaur said, “they (L&DO) cannot take possession like this. They have to proceed under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971”. Later Mehta gave an oral assurance it will maintain status quo till November 22.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that he was a victim of “political vendetta” and has done no wrong in the case involving allotment of a plot of land in Panchkula to AJL. Hooda made the remarks on media persons’ query on reports that Haryana Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya gave sanction to prosecute him in the AJL case.
“I have been maintaining that I am a victim of political vendetta,” Hooda told reporters on the sidelines of a Congress workers’ meeting. The case of cheating, corruption and criminal conspiracy, registered
by the Haryana Vigilance Bureau against Hooda and AJL for irregularities in allotment of a plot of land in Panchkula to the firm had been taken over by the CBI last year. Congress veteran leader Motilal Vora is also made as an accused in the CBI case along with Haryana Government officials.
