Bansuri Swaraj's response to Priyanka Gandhi's 'Bangladesh, Palestine' tote bags: 'National Herald ki loot'

Keeping the heat on the Congress over the National Herald issue, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj on Tuesday (April 22, 2025) carried a black tote bag with "National Herald Ki Loot" written over it in red colour. She arrived in the Parliament for the committee meeting over the bills proposing simultaneous polls. This was also in response to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi's 'tote bag' protest for Palestine and Bangladesh last year.

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In 2024, Priyanka Gandhi stood in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Gaza war by carrying a tote bag to Parliament that had the word "Palestine" and Palestinian emblems, including a watermelon on it. As the BJP accused her of speaking selectively on matters, Gandhi was also seen carrying another tote bag to Parliament with the message of "Bangladesh ke Hindu aur Isaiyon ke saath Khade ho" (stand with the Hindus and Christians of Bangladesh).

On April 16, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders, including former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and party MP Rahul Gandhi on charges of money laundering in the National Herald case. The chargesheet also names Congress leader Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey as accused persons. Special judge Vishal Gogne posted the matter for further proceedings on April 25. The BJP has been attacking the grand old party over the Herald case, while Congress workers have protested in various cities against the ED chargesheet.

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What is the National Herald case?

The National Herald was a newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru along with other freedom fighters in 1938. It was published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL). In 2008, the paper closed down with a debt of over Rs 90 crore that it had allegedly taken from Congress. The AJL, brainchild of Jawaharlal Nehru, was started in 1937 with 5,000 other freedom fighters as its shareholders. In 2010, the company had 1,057 shareholders but incurred massive losses, and its holdings were transferred to Young Indian Limited (YIL) in 2011. Young India Ltd was set up in 2010 with Rahul Gandhi as a director and Sonia holding 76 per cent of the company's shares. The remaining 24% were held by Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes.

In 2013, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy filed a private criminal complaint wherein he accused Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds in the acquisition of AJL by YIL. He alleged that YIL (Sonia and Rahul Gandhi's firm) paid only Rs 50 lakh to obtain assets and properties of much higher value. Several of AJL's past shareholders also claimed that they were not consulted before the stakes were transferred to YIL. Swamy named Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes, Sam Pitroda and journalist Suman Dubey in the case.

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The allegations were heard in various courts on Swamy's complaint. After the BJP came to power in 2014, the Income Tax department and the Enforcement Directorate launched separate investigations into the matter. The I-T department case relates to the alleged evasion of taxes and stamp duties on the transaction, which takes into account AJL's immovable assets. The ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after a trial court in Delhi took cognizance of the Income Tax probe. The investigation wing of the I-T department submitted a detailed Tax Evasion Petition against some persons, including Rahul Gandhi, in 2015. Later that year, the Gandhis and the other leaders secured bail.

The ED has cited a 2017 Income Tax assessment order alleging that key office-bearers of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), along with the principal officers of AJL and YIL, orchestrated a “criminal conspiracy” to take over properties worth ₹2,000 crore belonging to AJL, according to news agency PTI. The ED, while attaching ₹751 crore worth assets of AJL and YIL in November 2023, claimed that a criminal conspiracy was hatched to give control of properties worth “hundreds of crores of rupees” of AJL to the “beneficial owners” of YIL - Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.