BJP, Congress escalate clash over fresh FIR in National Herald Case
New Delhi – The BJP and the Congress escalated their political fight on Sunday as a new FIR in the National Herald case named Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The move reignited a long-running dispute that dates back to 2008, and both parties sharpened their charges.
To begin with, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh attacked the FIR. He said the case was “bogus” and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of running a political vendetta. He argued that the government wanted to intimidate the party’s top leadership.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad countered those claims. He said Modi was not in power when a private complaint first raised the allegations. He stressed that the timeline itself disproved the charge of retaliation.
Prasad then outlined the BJP’s core allegation. According to him, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), which published the National Herald, carried a loan of nearly ₹90 crore that the Congress party had extended. He said a new company, Young India Ltd, later purchased AJL’s shares for only ₹50 lakh. As he explained it, once the loan was waived, Young India gained full control of AJL. He also claimed Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi together held 76% of Young India. Therefore, he concluded, the deal amounted to “a clear case of loot”.
However, Congress leaders pushed back. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi dismissed the FIR on X. He said nothing about the case was new. He argued that no property changed hands, no money flowed, and no element of money laundering could stand scrutiny. He said Young India existed only to hold AJL’s shares and claimed the investigation relied on political motives rather than evidence.
After that, Ramesh returned with another sharp remark. He said the “Modi-Shah duo” continued to use intimidation and harassment as political tools. According to him, the case represented fear within the ruling establishment, not wrongdoing by the Congress leadership. He insisted that justice would prevail and added, “Satyameva Jayate”.
As the war of words grew louder, both parties strengthened their narratives. The BJP framed the issue as financial misconduct. The Congress framed it as political persecution. Each side sought to energise its own supporters while weakening the opponent’s credibility.
In the broader political landscape, the National Herald case has resurfaced repeatedly during moments of high tension. It now returns at a time when parties are preparing for major electoral battles, and both sides want to control the narrative. Consequently, every new development intensifies the confrontation.
For now, the FIR has reopened an old dispute and renewed the conflict between India’s two biggest national parties. As each day passes, the charges, counter-charges, and legal battles seem set to dominate the political debate once again.
