New Delhi, December 21: In a big setback to the Congress, the Delhi High Court while hearing Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), owner of National Herald newspaper's plea on Friday ordered the party to vacate Herald House within two weeks. AJL in its petition challenged Centre's decision which had cancelled its lease and ordered it to vacate Herald House on grounds of violation of lease clauses. In its petition, AJL called Centre’s order as “politically motivated”. It further stated that the impugned order is vitiated by malafides, bias and has been issued with oblique political motives. National Herald Case: Subramanian Swamy Moves Patiala House Court to Seek New Date.

The publisher had approached the high court on November 12 against the October 30 order of the Urban Development Ministry, asking it to vacate the building by November 15 stating that Herald House's 56-year-old lease to AJL had ended. Meanwhile, AJL in its petition also stated that the shutting down National Herald premises is a "deliberate attempt by the government to suppress and destroy the legacy of Nehru. National Herald Case: Delhi High Court Refuses Relief to Rahul Gandhi.

In the petition, the publisher called the government’s order an affront to the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a)of the Constitution and a deliberate attempt to suppress and destroy the legacy of the first Prime Minister of the country Jawaharlal Nehru.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian had filed the case against Congress president Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and others. Swamy, in his complaint, alleged that both Sonia, Rahul and others misused party funds to buy a firm that published the National Herald newspaper.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2018 02:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).