Congress Fought to Revive National Herald, Not Seize Assets, Argues Counsel in Court
The court has scheduled daily hearings from July 2-8
In a heated courtroom rebuttal, senior advocate R S Cheema, representing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asserted that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) aimed to revive the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), publisher of the National Herald newspaper, rather than profit from its assets. The argument was made before Special Judge Vishal Gogne at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court on Saturday, countering the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) allegations of a fraudulent takeover in the ongoing National Herald case.
The ED’s chargesheet, filed on April 9, 2025, accuses Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, late leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, Young Indian Private Limited, and Dotex Merchandise Private Limited of money laundering and conspiracy. It alleges that the Gandhis, holding a 76% stake in Young Indian, orchestrated the acquisition of AJL’s assets—valued at over ₹2,000 crore—for a nominal ₹50 lakh by converting a ₹90.21 crore AICC loan into equity shares, reducing AJL’s 1,000+ shareholders to a mere 1% stake.
Cheema emphasized AJL’s historical significance, founded in 1937 by Jawaharlal Nehru and others as a non-commercial entity aligned with the Indian National Congress’s ideals. “AJL was never a profit-making institution. The AICC was not looking to sell assets but to save a freedom movement legacy,” he argued, challenging the ED’s narrative of a profit-driven scheme. He questioned why the ED omitted AJL’s Memorandum of Association, which ties its policy to the INC’s, underscoring its non-commercial heritage.
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On July 3, ED counsel ASG V Raju argued that the Gandhis were “beneficial owners” of Young Indian, gaining control of AJL’s assets after the deaths of Vora and Fernandes. The ED invoked Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), alleging a criminal conspiracy to misappropriate AJL’s properties, including prime real estate in Delhi, Mumbai, and Lucknow.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sonia Gandhi, concluded his arguments on Friday, reinforcing the Congress’s stance that Young Indian, a not-for-profit entity, was created to revive the National Herald, not to amass wealth. The Congress has consistently labeled the case as “political vendetta” by the BJP-led government.
The court has scheduled daily hearings from July 2-8, with the next session to address whether to take cognizance of the chargesheet. The case, sparked by a 2012 complaint from BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, continues to polarize, with Congress alleging misuse of central agencies and the BJP calling it a clear case of fraud.
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