Bindal Says Gandhi Family Took Over National Herald Property UnethicallyBJP defends ED chargesheet, says Congress diverted public money; Congress calls it political vendetta
Shimla — Himachal BJP President Dr. Rajiv Bindal has accused the Gandhi family of taking over the assets of the National Herald through unethical and fraudulent means. His remarks came in response to the chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Bindal said, “Associated Journals Limited (AJL) was created by freedom fighters and was never a personal property of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Unfortunately, the Congress leadership attempted to capture property worth thousands of crores through a complex web of financial manipulation. This is a betrayal of public trust.”
Background of the National Herald Case
The National Herald was founded by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1937 under the banner of Associated Journals Limited (AJL). It was a significant voice during India’s freedom struggle. AJL published three newspapers—National Herald (English), Navjeevan (Hindi), and Qaumi Awaaz (Urdu). Over time, AJL stopped publishing due to financial losses, and by 2008, it ceased operations completely with a debt of over ₹90 crore.
In 2010, a company named Young Indian Pvt Ltd was incorporated, with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi each holding 38% shares. Young Indian acquired the entire debt of AJL from Congress for ₹50 lakh and, in turn, took control of AJL’s assets, which included prime real estate in cities like Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, and Bhopal—properties estimated to be worth over ₹2,000 crore.
The crux of the allegation is that the Congress party, a political entity, extended an unsecured loan of ₹90 crore to AJL and later transferred the debt to Young Indian. This allowed the Gandhis to indirectly control AJL’s massive assets for a fraction of their value. The ED, along with the Income Tax Department, has claimed that this move amounted to a clear case of money laundering and breach of the Income Tax Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
ED Files Chargesheet; Court Takes Cognizance
On April 9, the ED filed a chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Sam Pitroda, and Suman Dubey under the PMLA. The case is being heard by Special Judge Vishal Gogne, who has set April 25 as the next date of hearing. The chargesheet is based on a series of investigations over several years, including questioning of senior Congress leaders like Motilal Vora (now deceased) and Pawan Bansal.
The ED alleges that the accused persons devised a scheme to acquire control of AJL through Young Indian for personal gain and to convert AJL’s real estate into commercial assets.
Congress Calls it ‘Political Vendetta’
The Congress party has dismissed the charges as politically motivated. On Wednesday, the party staged a protest outside the ED office in Shimla. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu led the protest, calling the ED the “Intimidation Department.”
“The BJP government at the Centre is using agencies like ED and CBI to silence the opposition. This is not about corruption, it’s about crushing the voice of truth,” Sukhu said. Congress State President Pratibha Singh and several ministers also participated in the protest, calling the charges a part of the BJP’s strategy to defame opposition leaders ahead of elections.
BJP Retorts: “This is the Gandhi Model of Development”
BJP MLA Trilok Jamwal also weighed in, stating, “Congress claims Young Indian was set up for charity, but there is no record of any charitable work. This is not public service; this is the Gandhi model of development—buying property for ₹50 lakh that is worth thousands of crores.”
He further added that public money and party funds were misused and that the case must proceed fairly under judicial scrutiny.
What Lies Ahead
With the court hearing scheduled for April 25 and the ED maintaining that it has solid documentary evidence, the National Herald case is poised to remain at the center of political discourse. For the BJP, it serves as an example of alleged corruption at the highest levels of the Congress party. For the Congress, it is a case of misuse of power to target a prominent opposition family.
As the legal battle unfolds, the political showdown is likely to continue in Parliament, courts, and on the streets.
