National Herald Case: The Controversy Actually Started in 1950
Patel’s Warning, Nehru’s Defiance: The Seeds of the National Herald Controversy
In 1950, a simmering dispute between two titans of India’s independence movement—Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru—laid the groundwork for a controversy that would erupt decades later as the National Herald case.
Recently resurfaced letters between the two leaders reveal Patel’s sharp concerns over questionable funding practices at the National Herald, a newspaper founded by Nehru in 1938 to champion India’s freedom struggle. These exchanges, highlighted by BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi in 2025, expose early cracks in the Congress party’s financial dealings and fuel ongoing debates about the newspaper’s legacy.
As Home Minister, Patel sounded an alarm in a series of letters to Prime Minister Nehru, warning that the National Herald, published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL), was accepting funds from dubious sources.
Also Read: National Herald Case: Unraveling The Financial Controversy
He pointed to Rs.75,000 from Himalayan Airways and businessman Akhani, both tied to government contracts, as ethically troubling. Patel argued that such transactions risked tarnishing the Congress party’s reputation and urged Nehru to halt them, fearing public backlash over perceived impropriety.
Nehru, however, brushed off Patel’s concerns. In his replies, he defended the contributions as support for a “charitable” cause, insisting the Herald was a viable business. Distancing himself from direct involvement, Nehru noted that his son-in-law, Feroze Gandhi, and others handled the newspaper’s finances. Patel remained unconvinced, pressing Nehru to address the ethical red flags, but the Prime Minister’s responses stayed vague, sidestepping accountability.
Fast-forward to 2012, when the National Herald storm broke open with Subramanian Swamy’s allegations of corruption. Swamy accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi of orchestrating an illegal takeover of AJL’s assets—valued at billions—through their company, Young Indian.
He claimed the Gandhis used a Rs.90.25 crore loan from the Congress party, which was never repaid, to gain control of the newspaper’s properties. The BJP has since seized on Patel’s 1950 letters as evidence of a long history of financial misconduct, arguing they foreshadowed the modern scandal.
The Congress, in defense, calls the accusations a political witch hunt. They argue the loan was a legitimate effort to revive a struggling newspaper that symbolizes India’s freedom movement, not a personal asset of the Gandhi family. The party dismisses the controversy as a BJP-orchestrated smear campaign to discredit its legacy.
Patel’s warnings and Nehru’s dismissals, now in the spotlight, offer a historical lens on a saga that continues to divide. While the 1950 letters don’t definitively prove corruption, they highlight early unease about the Herald’s finances—a tension that resonates in today’s legal and political battles. As the National Herald case unfolds, it remains a lightning rod for questions about transparency, legacy, and power in Indian politics.
The Letters from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru are below for your convenience:
Also Read: The National Herald Case: What The ED's Chargesheet Actually Says
