National Herald case: Congress workers detained over ED chargesheet against Gandhis; party cries vendetta, BJP alleges fund misuse | India News

Police detain Congress workers who were protesting against Central Government and Central agencies, outside their party office.

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Wednesday detained several Congress workers protesting outside the All India Congress Committee headquarters at 24, Akbar Road. The protest erupted after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet in the National Herald case, naming senior party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as key accused.
The detained protesters were demonstrating against what they called a “politically motivated” move by the Centre to target opposition leaders using investigative agencies. The ED filed its prosecution complaint at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Congress leaders speak out
The protest, which took place in front of the Congress headquarters, saw participation from several senior leaders.
Sachin Pilot, former Rajasthan deputy CM, said, “We are seeing this case for a long time. There is no transaction, no transfer of property, no asset movement. I have full faith in the judiciary. This is being done only to divert public attention. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will fight legally and politically. The BJP is feeling threatened because we are reviving the party in Gujarat. This is a clear misuse of the ED.”
Imran Pratapgarhi, Congress MP and minority cell chairman, said the timing of the chargesheet was suspicious. “You have to understand the chronology—Rahul Gandhi is in Gujarat, Bihar elections are coming, BJP is nervous about Assam, and suddenly this chargesheet appears. This is an attempt to crush the opposition, but they forget this is the Gandhi family—whose sacrifices for the country are unparalleled,” Pratapgarhi said.

Supriya Shrinate, Congress spokesperson, launched a scathing attack on the Modi government saying, “This is a 12-year-old case. The government waited till the last day to file the chargesheet, which shows how legally and morally bankrupt they are. No money has exchanged hands. This is a desperate attempt to trap the Gandhi family. Modi is scared of Rahul Gandhi. But vendetta politics will take them only so far. We will fight this in court and on the streets.”
Udit Raj, another party leader, called the chargesheet “fake and illegal”. “We want to go to the public. No one is bigger than the people. The people must know this chargesheet is completely baseless.”
Congress has announced nationwide protests against the move, particularly in front of ED offices across the country.
BJP counters with ‘corporate conspiracy’ allegation
In a press conference held in Delhi, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad defended the ED’s action and hit back at Congress.
“Congress has the right to protest, but they do not have the right to loot land and public funds. This entire case is about misappropriation of funds and assets. In 2008, the National Herald ceased publication. After that, Congress gave ?90 crore to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher. This was a clear violation because party funds cannot be given to a private company.”
He further alleged, “Young India Ltd was then created, with 38% share each held by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. This was a corporate conspiracy to grab the assets of AJL. Properties in Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Patna, and Bhopal—valuable properties—were transferred to Young India. And what charity has Young India done since then? None.”
Prasad accused the Congress of misleading the public and using protests to distract from the real legal issues.
What is the National Herald Case?
The National Herald was a newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938, published by AJL. In 2008, AJL stopped publishing. Later, in 2010, Congress leaders created Young Indian Pvt. Ltd., a company in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi hold the majority stake.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a private complaint in 2012 alleging that Congress provided Rs 90 crore in loans to AJL, which was later acquired by Young India for a paltry Rs 50 lakh. He alleged this allowed Young India, and by extension the Gandhi family, to effectively control real estate assets worth over Rs 2,000 crore.
The ED began investigating under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. On Tuesday, it filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) naming Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others, including Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes.
The complaint has been filed under Sections 44 and 45 of the PMLA, for offences under Section 3 (money laundering), Section 70 (offences by companies), and Section 4 (punishment for money laundering).
What happens next?
The chargesheet will now be taken up by the Delhi court, and summons may be issued to the accused. Congress has announced continued protests, claiming it will “not be silenced.” Meanwhile, BJP leaders insist the law must take its course and that no one is above the law.