Congress President Sonia Gandhi has accused the BJP-led NDA government of being politically vindictive. She said the government is targeting her and other Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi for alleged misuse of funds of an English daily run by the Gandhi family. She was replying to a media query after her party was served a notice by the Income Tax department in the case. Mrs Gandhi said the kind of political witchhunt will only help the Congress come back to power faster.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar rejected Mrs Gandhi's allegation and said the government does not believe in political vendetta.

At the heart of the controversy is a court case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy who has alleged that the Gandhis floated a firm called the Young Indian Company which acquired Associated Journals Limited, the publisher of three newspapers, including the National Herald. The paper was shut down in 2008 by Mrs Gandhi. Swamy said that the Congress used its party funds to enable the company to own Associated Journals and grab property worth thousands of crores that belonged to the publishing company.