TAP TO UNMUTE File picture: Congress president Sonia Gandhi | Photo Credit: PTI

New Delhi: In a sensational expose, it has been revealed that Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote a letter to the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram in 2004 on a petition by private firm First Global, the financiers of Tehelka news portal.

The letter, accessed by TIMES NOW, exposes a conflict of interest and alleged quid pro quo between Sonia Gandhi and Tarun Tejpal, who is facing rape charges.

Four months after the UPA came to power in 2004, Sonia in the letter called the treatment to Tehelka financiers by revenue enforcement agencies 'unjust and unfair' and reportedly asked Chidambaram to resolve the Tehelka matter 'on priority'.

In the two letters written in September 2004, Gandhi, who was the chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) with the rank of a Union Minister, asked Chidambaram to look into a presentation made to her by the Director of First Global, the main investors in Tehelka.com "on priority".

Four days after Sonia wrote the letter to Chidambaram, the then UPA government formed the Group of Ministers (GoM). And six days after the letter, the probe against First Global was dropped.

This was at a time when Tehelka was constantly doing stories on the then chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi.

Reacting to the story, Chidambaram said he has been shown a copy of a letter written by Gandhi forwarding a letter from First Global.

"My noting on the letter is correct. I am certain that, on behalf of the ministry, I would have sent a reply based on the material put up to me. The letter of Mrs. Gandhi and my reply should be read together. I suggest that the media may ask the government to release the reply to the letter," Chidambaram said.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, meanwhile, lashed out at Congress, saying it is a proof of subversion by the UPA government.

#SoniaTejpalQuidProQuo explodes: BJP MP Subramanian Swamy lashes out at Congress; says its a proof of subversion by UPA government pic.twitter.com/Ic7uwdg7dH — TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 6, 2017

The expose raises various questions such as:

1. Why was Sonia Gandhi, as chief of UPA super body NAC, writing letters that show she was batting for a private firm linked to Tejpal?

2. Was Sonia repaying the 'debt' to Tehelka's chief Tejpal for his stories against the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi?

3. Were UPA ministers sharing sensitive government information with Sonia Gandhi?

4. Will Congress explain if the then FM put off probe against private firm linked to Tejpal on Sonia's orders?