Senior counsel and ex-BJP parliamentarian Ram Jethmalani had offered to represent Congress president Sonia Gandhi for free in the National Herald case in early December, reported The Times of India.

He reportedly wrote her two letters, offering his services pro bono although he said he knew that “you have many great lawyers in the party” and that he had no reason to doubt that “Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have done no wrong and that the charges against them were false and malicious”:

As a senior practicing Counsel and Parliamentarian I am not happy with what has been happening in the Rajya Sabha for the last few days. The institution of Parliament is suffering total loss of public respect. This does not augur well for Indian democracy. On the other hand I have no reason to doubt your stand that the recent prosecution instituted against you and your son is false and malicious. But this is to be established in Court and not by tumult and disorder in the Rajya Sabha. […] I hope you will allow the Parliament to function the normal way.

Gandhi did not accept the offer, according to the report.

Jethmalani and the National Herald petitioner Subramanian Swamy are not on the friendliest terms, with Jethmalani having sued Swamy for defamation.

Late last year Jethmalani had offered and agreed to represent Arvind Kejriwal pro bono in two defamation cases filed by Arun Jaitley.