National Herald Ki Loot: BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj targets Congress with her bag in Parliament

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj on Tuesday arrived at the Parliament Annexe building to attend JPC meeting on 'One Nation One Election' carrying a bag with 'National Herald Ki Loot' written on it.


Swaraj alleged that this is the first time corruption had happened in the media, further accusing the Congress party and its top leadership of wrongdoing.


"This is the first time that corruption has taken place in the fourth pillar of democracy-media. The charge sheet filed by the ED highlights the old working style and ideology of the Congress party. In the guise of service, they make public institutions a tool to increase their personal property. This is a very serious matter...The Congress party and its top leadership are accountable for this," Swaraj said.

The National Herald case

On April 15, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others, alleging money laundering in connection with the National Herald case.

The ED’s investigation began in 2021 following a private complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on June 26, 2014. The complaint, taken cognisance of by a Delhi metropolitan magistrate, alleged a “criminal conspiracy” involving senior Congress figures and Young Indian Private Limited in the acquisition of Associated Journals Limited (AJL) — a company that publishes the National Herald newspaper and web platform.

According to the ED, Young Indian — in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each hold a 38% stake — acquired AJL’s assets, estimated to be worth over Rs 2,000 crore, for just Rs 50 lakh. The agency alleges this transaction was part of a larger scheme involving money laundering.

The ED claims its investigation has "conclusively" found that Young Indian, "beneficially owned" by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, acquired AJL’s assets at a highly undervalued price. Furthermore, the agency alleges that these properties were later used to generate proceeds of crime through bogus donations amounting to Rs 18 crore, advance rent of Rs 38 crore, and fake advertisement revenue of Rs 29 crore.

The ED's legal proceedings have faced multiple challenges but were upheld by both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court, allowing the investigation to continue.