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BJP, Congress spar over ED action in National Herald case
The BJP lashed out at the Gandhi family & accused it of appropriating the legacy of the Congress, the freedom struggle and the property of the National Herald.
A political row broke out on Wednesday over the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) move to provisionally attach assets worth ₹751.9 crore in connection with its ongoing money laundering probe into the National Herald newspaper, which is associated with the Congress party.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lashed out at the Gandhi family and accused it of appropriating the legacy of the Congress, the freedom struggle and the property of the National Herald. The Congress accused the BJP of misusing central agencies to advance its political vendetta.
The National Herald is published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL) and owned by Young Indian (YI) Private Limited. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders of YI, holding 76% shares in all. ED is probing allegations of irregularities in transactions involving AJL and YI.
READ | What is the National Herald case in which ED attached ₹751 crore worth of assets?
Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said allegations that the government was indulging in a witch-hunt were unfounded. “You think that you keep looting but no action should be taken. The family must pay for its sins, corruption and misuse of power,” he said.
“The BJP would like to ask a straight question to Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, as to how action against rank dishonesty and a loot of public money is a negation of democracy?” he asked.
Accusing the Gandhi family of appropriating the assets of the newspaper, he said the Gandhis appropriated the fight for Independence, and called the controversy a “new low in the democracy of India”. “The family does not only control the legacy of the party and the freedom struggle, but also the moveable and immovable property,” he said.
READ | ED attaches assets worth ₹752 cr in AJL-National Herald case
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit back. Addressing a rally in poll-bound Telangana, he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, and said they want to shut down a newspaper that was started by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
“I feel sad today. My party’s paper, which was started by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, National Herald….. Modi yesterday seized the property of the Congress. That property was not of any individual. Pandit Nehru brought out that paper for the freedom struggle and to create awareness among the people. It became the voice of freedom fighters,” he said.
If they think that the Congress will be scared due to the attachment, it is wrong and the Congress will never be scared and it will fight “till the end”, he added.
ED’s probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is based on an Income Tax department investigation, completed in 2017, which was based on a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in 2012.
Swamy accused the Gandhis of using party funds to purchase AJL and said ₹90.21 crore were transferred from AICC to AJL at zero interest; that Young India Private Ltd (YI) received 92 million shares of AJL; and that Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra purchased additional shares to gain full control of the company.
AJL was founded in November 1937 by Jawaharlal Nehru and published the National Herald, Qaumi Awaz in Urdu and Navjeevan in Hindi.
