Sarahan – BJP MP and former Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has accused the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh of misusing public funds by channelling advertisement money into the National Herald—a publication with no connection to the state. Addressing party workers at Sarahan, Thakur alleged that the Congress was using Himachal’s advertisement budget to run the propaganda machinery of the Gandhi family.
“Congress has turned National Herald into its ATM,” Thakur said, “and the Himachal government is funding it. What justification is there for giving crores in advertisements to a Delhi-based weekly newspaper while ignoring the local dailies of Himachal that genuinely serve the public?”
He questioned the rationale behind such allocations, claiming that the Sukhu government funded the National Herald while the newspapers of Himachal received no support. “This shows their priorities. It’s not about public interest but about feeding a political narrative,” Thakur added.
The BJP leader’s remarks came in the backdrop of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filing a chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and other senior Congress leaders in connection with the National Herald and its publisher, Associated Journals Limited (AJL), over allegations of money laundering. According to Thakur, this scam exposes how the Congress party turned a media outlet into a tool for personal and financial gain.
“From Nehru ji to Rahul Gandhi, the Congress treated National Herald as its private property. Now the ED has unearthed the truth. Shares worth ₹90.2 crore were attached by ED in 2023, and immovable properties worth ₹661 crore are under seizure. This is not just a scam; it’s a betrayal of public trust,” Thakur said.
He also slammed the Gandhi family for considering themselves “above the law,” pointing to the ongoing ED probe into Robert Vadra’s alleged involvement in the Shikohpur land scam in Gurugram. “The hands of the Congress high command are tainted with scams. The National Herald case is a black spot they can’t erase.”
Thakur demanded accountability from the Congress leadership and asked Rahul and Sonia Gandhi to clarify where the advertisement money given to National Herald ultimately ended up. “Although newspapers are printed on paper, National Herald is printed in figures. Whose pocket is this money going into?” he questioned.
