The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to summon Rahul Gandhi today in connection with the National Herald case, with the aim to conclude its probe, reportedly.
According to reports, assets worth ₹ 751 crores are also attached in this case.
Table of Contents
What is National Herald?
National Herald was a newspaper established in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru and other freedom fighters. It was to articulate the concerns of a classic liberal cell within the Congress. Published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the National Herald came to be synonymous with the freedom struggle of India and had been shaped by some of the great leaders in their time; not for nothing it was known as “the great nationalist newspaper” in the country.
Even after the independence, Congress party continued to impact hugely on shaping its outlook. Nehru even referred, in a congratulatory message to the National Herald on its silver jubilee in 1963, that it ‘mostly reflected Congress policy’ as he also appreciated its independent outlook. Under the able guidance of some of India’s best journalists, The National Herald became one of the premier English dailies but it was still financed by both Congress party.
In 2008, the paper ceased operations with a debt of over ₹ 90 crore. In 2016, it was revived as a digital publication.
Allegations on the Congress
In 2012, BJP leader and advocate Subramanian Swamy filed the complaint before a trial court, for alleged cheating and breach of trust by certain Congress leaders in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) by Young Indian Pvt Ltd.
He claimed that YIL took control of the assets by a ‘cruel’ scheme in which it acquired properties worth over 2,000 crores of rupees belonging to National Herald. The BJP leader has alleged that Young India took total control of AJL and its real estate in Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, and other places.
Some of the people named by Swamy in this case include Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, Oscar Fernandes, Motilal Vora and journalist Suman Dubey.
Recent Developments
Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi may soon face questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities and land grab cases against him for running the Congress-National Herald-run newspaper. In June 2022, he was also quizzed over four days for nearly 40 hours by the ED in connection with his role in Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI), which has him and his mother Sonia Gandhi as stakeholders; YI acquiring Associated Journals Ltd was held to be a violation of financial guidelines.
Last week, Rahul Gandhi also claimed that ED was planning to raid him after his ‘Chakravyuh’ speech which was not liked by ‘2 in 1’ people, indirectly referring to Amit Shah.
The agency, while attaching properties of AJL worth ₹751 crore and YI in November 2023, claimed that a criminal conspiracy was hatched to give control of “hundreds of crores of rupees” worth of properties belonging to AJL to the “beneficial owners” of Young Indian, Sonia Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi.
