The National Herald case has once again become a focal point of political contention in India, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) trading accusations following the registration of a fresh FIR. The BJP has asserted that the Congress party is in a state of "panic", while the Congress has hit back, alleging "harassment" and "vendetta politics" by the ruling party.
The Congress has dismissed the FIR as "bogus" and a clear case of political vendetta orchestrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh condemned what he described as the "mischievous politics of harassment, intimidation, and vendetta" against the top leadership of the INC. He stated that those who resort to threats are inherently insecure and afraid, expressing confidence that justice would ultimately prevail. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress spokesperson, also described the FIR as baseless, emphasizing that no money had moved, and no immovable property was transferred.
The BJP has dismissed the Congress's allegations as baseless and has demanded that the party provide an account of what it calls the "loot" of the nation's resources. Ravi Shankar Prasad, a senior BJP leader, refuted the claims of political vendetta, pointing out that the case dates back to 2008, predating the Modi government. Prasad highlighted that Young Indian, in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each hold a 38% share, acquired assets worth thousands of crores belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which was held by the Congress and owned by National Herald, for a mere ₹50 lakh. He stated that this was a clear case of "loot" and that the law should be allowed to take its course. He also noted that the courts had rejected earlier pleas by Congress leaders to quash the proceedings against them, and they were asked to face trial.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been investigating the matter, alleging that the accused were instrumental in the fraudulent takeover of properties worth over ₹2,000 crore belonging to AJL for a paltry sum of ₹50 lakh. The ED alleges that AJL had to repay a loan of ₹90.21 crore to the Congress, which the party treated as non-recoverable and sold to Young Indian for just ₹50 lakh. The ED claims that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi together hold a 76% share in Young Indian, which demanded either repayment or equity shares of AJL.
The Delhi Police have registered the FIR based on a complaint from the ED, with charges including criminal conspiracy, dishonest misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust, and cheating under the Indian Penal Code. The FIR names Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, entities like Young Indian (YI) and Dotex Merchandise Ltd, Dotex promoter Sunil Bhandari, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), and other unknown individuals.
The National Herald case revolves around allegations of financial irregularities in the acquisition of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper, by Young Indian Private Limited. The Congress party has maintained that the transactions were legitimate and that the aim was to revive the newspaper, which had been struggling financially. The BJP, however, alleges that the Gandhis and other Congress leaders illegally acquired assets worth thousands of crores through this deal. The case is currently under investigation, and the legal proceedings are ongoing.
