Shimla — The Himachal Pradesh government has launched a strong counterattack against the BJP over allegations concerning advertisements issued to the National Herald newspaper. Naresh Chauhan, Principal Media Advisor to Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, dismissed the BJP’s claims as “baseless” and accused the party of spreading misinformation for political gain.
Chauhan revealed that during the previous BJP regime, led by former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, advertisements worth ₹2.93 crore were issued to magazines and journals affiliated with the BJP’s ideological ecosystem. “These were publications not even known to the people of Himachal. Crores were spent on magazines from Nagpur, Mumbai, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh which have no connection to Himachal,” Chauhan said at a press conference on Saturday.
Magazines with No Relevance to Himachal Got Crores
He cited specific publications, including Organiser, Panchjanya, Matrivandana, Deep Kamal Sandesh, Chhatra Udghosh (an ABVP magazine), and Tarun Bharat, published from Nagpur, as examples of journals that received over ₹2 crore in government advertisement funds during the BJP’s tenure.
“I am astonished that BJP leaders are saying National Herald is not even published anymore. It is regularly published from Delhi in English and as Sunday Navjeevan in Hindi. Mumbai editions are also running,” he added.
Only ₹1 Crore Ads Given to National Herald: Congress
Refuting BJP’s allegation that the present Congress government issued ₹2.34 crore worth of advertisements to National Herald, Chauhan clarified that only ₹1 crore was spent over the last two and a half years. He underlined that National Herald is a historic publication started in 1938 by the Congress party through the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), and played a crucial role during India’s freedom struggle.
The paper had stopped for a period due to financial constraints but was later revived under the Young Indian Company. “There was no financial gain, money laundering, or asset transfer involved in the revival process. It was done in accordance with Section-8 provisions,” Chauhan explained.
BJP Trying to Malign CM Sukhu: Chauhan
Chauhan accused BJP leaders, especially Jairam Thakur, of trying to tarnish the image of CM Sukhu by resorting to false propaganda. “The BJP is targeting the Chief Minister personally and trying to mislead the people. This will not be tolerated,” he said.
He also criticized the central BJP leadership for allegedly using investigative agencies to harass Congress leaders and stifle opposition voices, particularly Rahul Gandhi, who has been vocal against the Centre’s policies.
Naresh Chauhan advised BJP legislators in Himachal to stop engaging in political vendetta and instead cooperate with the government to secure the state’s rights. “Opposition MLAs have been elected by the people too. It is their moral responsibility to offer constructive support instead of running misleading campaigns,” he said.
