Congress and corruption are made for each other: M.A. Naqvi

"We can say that the Congress and corruption are made for each other," Naqvi said while addressing a press conference here, hours after Congress President Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi were granted bail in connection with the National Herald case.

"When one speaks about Congress-free Bharat, we mean its corruption-free Bharat," he said.

Minutes after being granted bail in the National Herald case, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday said the Central government is intentionally targeting the opposition leaders.

"I appeared in the court today with a clear heart just as any other law-abiding citizen will  do," Sonia Gandhi told reporters.

"The current Central government is targeting the opposition," she said.

"I hope that truth  will be unveiled infront of all," she said.

Rahul Gandhi, who was also granted bail in the same case, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he is falsely accusing his family.

"PM Narendra Modi is falsely accusing us," Rahul Gandhi told media.

He said the Congress will continue to fight for the poor of the country.

"We will continue to fight for the poor of the nation and will not take a step backwards," Rahul Gandhi said.

Former Indian PM Manmohan Singh said the party will stand united beside the Gandhis.

Giving relief to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Saturday granted bail to the senior leaders in connections with the National Herald case.

Both the leaders appeared before the court where the hearing for the National Herald case filed against them was held.

After the Gandhis were granted bail, Congress leader Kapil Sibal told reporters: "Bail to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been granted without condition."

He said the next hearing into the case will be held on Feb 20.

Sibal said technocrat Sam Pitroda was granted exemption due to his medical condition while other three accused, including Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes and Suman Dubey, were also granted bail.

The mother-son duo were accompanied to the court by Priyanka Vadra, daughter of Sonia.

A large number of  Congress supporters also thronged near the court premises, guarded by a large number security personnel.

The Gandhis were earlier  summoned by the trial court on a private criminal complaint of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy of cheating, criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of property and breach of trust. Swamy had filed the complaint in 2012.

Swamy alleged that properties worth Rs 5,000 crore belonging to the now-defunct newspaper were usurped by the Gandhis through fraudulent papers. He accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by first loaning the money to AJL and then assigning the debt to YIL for Rs 50 lakh.

Swamy alleged that Congress has written off the remaining Rs 89.5 crore.

"I did not oppose bail today, only opposed exemption . Thus the Accused all produced bail for Rs. 50 000. No exemption. No bail boast?"Swamy tweeted after the court granted bail to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

National Herald newspaper was started by former prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1938 during the freedom struggle. It originally served as a mouthpiece of the Congress. Over the decades circulation and finances dropped, before it finally closed in 2008 with a debt of Rs 90 crore.

In 2014, the trial court asked Sonia and Rahul to appear in the case. On Dec 7, 2015, the high court dismissed their appeal and asked questions about the legality of the unsecured loan. They were also directed to appear before the trial court.