Shimla, Apr 22 (PTI) Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot strongly defended the Gandhi family in the “National Herald” case on Tuesday, maintaining that no one had any personal gains from it, and accused the BJP-led Centre of targeting the Gandhi-Nehru family by putting pressure on probe agencies.

All the properties of “National Herald” are under the control of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and efforts were being made to clear its liabilities through Young India (YI), a non-profit organisation, Gehlot told a press conference here.

Claiming that the country is moving in a wrong direction, opposition leaders are being treated as “enemies” and investigating agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), income-tax department and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are being pressured and misused to target them, Gehlot said the nine-year-old “National Herald” case is being raked up now only to seek vengeance.

Alleging that efforts are 0ng made to finish the Congress party, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been talking of a “Congress Mukt Bharat” (Congress-free India).

It is a big threat to democracy, Gehlot said and emphasised that the Congress is the country’s “heritage”, a truth that cannot be negated.

The veteran Congress leader said the Gandhi family has played a pivotal role right from the time of Motilal Nehru and Jawaharlal Nehru till date, but its members are being targeted specifically.

He said no member of the Gandhi family has held any post in the government in the last 35 years, adding that Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were offered the prime minister’s position but they declined the offer and Manmohan Singh was appointed to the coveted post.

Gehlot expressed concerns over alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra Assembly polls. He alleged that efforts are on to muzzle the voice of the opposition, particularly that of Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress leader also claimed that the introduction of electoral bonds has hurt the transparency of the poll process. PTI BPL RC