‘ATM for Congress’: BJP attacks Sonia Gandhi, Rahul over National Herald case; says wanted properties worth ₹2,000 cr

Slamming Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi over the National Herald case, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said that the grand old party used the newspaper as its ATM.

Former Union minister Anurag Thakur claimed that Gandhis sought to acquire properties worth ₹2,000 crores of the National Herald without investing a penny from their pocket, a PTI report said.

The BJP also dared the two Congress leaders, who are facing corruption charges, to seek a quick and time-bound disposal of cases. The party also criticised Congress for citing politics as the reason for the Enforcement Directorate's action against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the case.

Anurag Thakur hits back at Congress

The ruling BJP kept the heat on the opposition party following the ED's chargesheet against the Gandhis and accused chief ministers from the Congress-ruled states of ploughing public money as advertisement into the weekly newspaper which few read.

To a question about the allegation that the ED action was politically motivated, the BJP MP dared the two Congress leaders to move courts to seek quick and time-bound trial in the cases against them, the PTI report said.

"If they have guts, they should do it," Thakur said, adding that in the "Congress model of corruption" the thieves make a lot of noises.

The National Herald case, he said, has stunned the Congress ecosystem into silence, claiming that they (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi) have been "caught stealing again". He said that some newspapers are published on paper, while others are only available online, and National Herald was one of the latter.

"Congress party time and again tries to launch and fails - I am talking about National Herald. The entire ecosystem of the Congress party began to feel the sensation of ‘kapkapahat’ after hearing the name National Herald, and it's obvious because they have been caught stealing again. After independence, many scams done by Congress have come forward," Thakur said during a press conference.

Both Gandhis together owned 76 per cent of the Young Indian company which was, he said, given ₹50 lakh loan by the Congress.

The company then took over the Associated Journals Limited, which owns the newspaper affiliated to the Congress, in lieu of ₹90 crore it owed to the opposition party, he said.

Kharge calls Congress meeting

After the ED filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in connection with the case, party President Mallikarjun Kharge called a meeting on Saturday to finalise the strategy ahead of the hearing in the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court on April 25.

According to sources, after discussing with his lawyers, LoP Rahul Gandhi left for Boston, US, as per his pre-scheduled program.

Rahul and the lawyers have decided to participate in the legal process at the Rouse Avenue Court and will not approach the High Court directly, sources said.

ED action against Sonia, Rahul Gandhi

On April 15, the ED filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in connection with the National Herald money laundering case.

The chargesheet also names Congress leader Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey and others, including several firms.

The matter has been listed for arguments on cognisance in the Delhi Rouse Avenue Court on April 25.

The prosecution complaint has been filed under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, for the offence of money laundering, as defined under Section 3, read with Section 70, and punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA, 2002.

The complaint was filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, their associated companies, and other individuals.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)