Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anurag Thakur on Friday launched an attack on the Congress party amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the National Herald case. Referring to the case, Thakur claimed that the Congress had been “caught stealing again” and accused the party of being gripped by panic every time the issue is mentioned.
He said that while some newspapers are physically printed and available to the public, others exist only in name, and the National Herald belongs to the latter category.
Speaking at a press conference, Thakur stated that the Congress becomes visibly anxious when the name “National Herald” is brought up. He criticised the party's repeated attempts to revive the publication, calling them failed relaunches.
He asserted that this reaction is only natural, given the history of alleged corruption and scandals involving the Congress post-Independence. According to Thakur, the Congress ecosystem is deeply unsettled because they have once again been exposed.
Taking further jibes, Thakur described the National Herald as a weekly newspaper that is barely read and rarely printed, yet receives more funding than major daily publications.
He claimed that properties across various states were allotted on a subsidised basis for the newspaper’s operations, pointing to what he described as another instance of the Congress’s model of corruption. He remarked that while most newspapers are printed and reach the public, some only exist “on paper,” implying that the National Herald falls into that category.
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These remarks came in the wake of a significant development in the case, as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a prosecution complaint, or chargesheet, against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. In light of the ED’s chargesheet, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has called for a key meeting on Saturday to finalise the party’s strategy ahead of the court hearing scheduled for April 25 at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court.
Sources have indicated that Rahul Gandhi, after consulting his legal team, left for Boston, United States, as part of a pre-planned program. Despite this, it has been decided that Rahul and the Congress legal team will not approach the High Court at this stage but will instead participate in the legal proceedings at the Rouse Avenue Court.
The ED filed the prosecution complaint on April 15 under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The case concerns alleged money laundering offences under Section 3, read with Section 70, and is punishable under Section 4 of the PMLA.
Besides Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the chargesheet names other Congress figures, including Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey, as well as several firms. The case was originally initiated through a complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, their associated companies, and various others. The matter has now been listed for arguments on cognisance on April 25 in the Delhi court.
Also Read: ‘National Herald’ case is symbolic of what ails Congress
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