Salient points of the press conference of BJP National Spokesperson Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi (MP)

Salient points of Press Conference of BJP National Spokesperson and Rajyasbha MP Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi

National Herald case is one of the most bizarre cases in Indian history, where property worth thousands of crores was sold against a liability of just ₹90 crore—and both the buyer and the seller belonged to the same side

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The newspaper launched by Pt Nehru in memory of freedom fighters, which was once a symbol of the Congress Party’s legacy, was shut down during the very period when Congress was in power

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On May 3, 1950, Sardar Patel wrote a letter to Pt Nehru raising concerns over the involvement of government-associated individuals in the affairs of National Herald, to which Nehru responded by calling investment in National Herald a profitable venture

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If National Herald was a commercial venture from the very beginning, how can the Congress now suddenly link it to donations made during the freedom struggle? Sardar Patel had already made it clear that this was not a matter of charity

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Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Bhanu Gupta wrote in his memoirs:

“I am surprised to learn that the 'National Herald' is being considered the property of the Nehru family. If a commission were to investigate how funds were raised for the National Herald, it could lead to a major revelation”

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Even the words of Congress’s own senior-most leaders and freedom fighters have exposed the true character, face, and mindset of the Congress party

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This is entirely a matter of a commercial transaction, and how can Congress claim that it is outside the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Directorate or that it is politically motivated?
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The newspaper was shut down in 2008, despite the Congress having been in power for nearly 50 years prior to that, indicating that the party could not preserve its own legacy during its own rule.

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Senior Congress leaders also had doubts about the National Herald case, as is evident from the letters of Sardar Patel

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The Congress and its leaders did not want these newspapers to continue, which is why no ex-officio arrangement was maintained in the company

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On the lines of Waqf-al-Aulad, the Congress transferred the properties of freedom fighters into ‘Property-al-Aulad’, meaning in the name of its own heirs

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Bharatiya Janata Party National Spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi addressed a press conference at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi, on Wednesday. During the conference, Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi made major revelations regarding the National Herald case involving the Congress party. Dr. Trivedi presented letters written by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and memoirs of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrabhan Gupta before journalists, stating that since the time of Nehru's rule, the National Herald had become a matter of commercial dealings for the Congress. Now, the Congress is pretending to associate it with freedom fighters.

Dr. Trivedi stated that the Congress party is staging so-called protests across the country today over the National Herald case. This case is one of the strangest in India’s history — a company with assets worth thousands of crores was sold for a liability of just ₹90 crores. From another perspective, it appears even more unusual, as both the buyer and the seller were from the same side. Looking at it a third way, it becomes even more bizarre — it is claimed that this newspaper was started by India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru in memory of and to honour the contributions of freedom fighters. Yet, it shut down during the Congress regime itself. The newspaper ceased operations in 2008, even though Congress had been in power for 50 of the 60 years prior to that.

BJP National Spokesperson Dr. Trivedi remarked that the real question is whether the Congress party failed to safeguard its own legacy during its rule. That legacy had become so unpopular among the people that it found no buyers. Even Congress workers were unwilling to purchase their own newspaper, while at the same time, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was receiving substantial financial aid from the government. This case serious doubts on the intentions of the Congress party.

Dr. Trivedi remarked that there were three newspapers: National Herald in English, Navjeevan in Hindi, and Koumi Awaz in Urdu. If even 10% of the Congress workers had been willing to buy these newspapers, they would probably not have been shut down. And if Congress wanted, it could have purchased them with its own funds and distributed them at least at the district and block levels. Today, Koumi Awaz is no longer available, meaning the Urdu newspaper is also gone, and the community's voice is unheard. This raises doubts in itself and casts a shadow on Congress's intentions. It appears that the Congress party and its leaders never wanted these newspapers to succeed. This is why the company that bought them did not establish a formal management structure.

National Spokesperson Dr. Trivedi stated that just as in many organizations, the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party holds the position of the president of that organization by virtue of their office, this was not done here. A person-based system was adopted. The recently passed bill, which is currently being discussed, also touched upon the issue of Waqf-al-Aulad. It seems that Congress has also made the freedom fighters' properties into ‘Property-al-Aulad’, i.e., transferred them to their heirs. The doubt about Congress's intentions is not only held by the Bharatiya Janata Party but has also been a concern for many senior leaders of Congress themselves for some time.

Dr. Trivedi stated that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had written a letter to Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, on May 3, 1950, regarding the National Herald issue, which is clearly mentioned in the Correspondence of Sardar Patel. In the letter, Patel wrote, “If this was the work of freedom fighters, then the involvement of people connected to the government is objectionable.” In response, Pt. Nehru wrote back on May 5, 1950, stating, “We all sometimes accept donations for charitable funds or similar purposes. Should we reject them outright, or accept them in certain circumstances? Many people, both governmental and non-governmental, contribute, and I do not see any particular harm in this.” The very next day, on May 6, 1950, Sardar Patel again wrote to Nehru in detail, explaining how certain private companies and their shareholders were involved in the process. Sardar Patel noted, “Some contributions did not come from those involved in running the department. Otherwise, to my knowledge, the number of contributions received was sufficient and involved other individuals as well. The transactions I have referred to are of a different nature. There is no element of charity in them.”

BJP National Spokesperson Dr. Trivedi stated that on May 6, 1950, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote a letter to Sardar Patel saying, “Herald is a good business proposition and its preference shares and debentures are not a bad investment.” This fact had been previously published in the media. Several prestigious newspapers had printed this in their research articles 2-3 years ago. It was said during Nehru's time that the investment made in the National Herald could be profitable. This is a good business investment, so its shares or debentures cannot be considered harmful. The direct implication is that from the very beginning, this investment was linked to profit, business, and property. Today, the Congress party should be asked this ethical question: when this was always a business plan, how can it suddenly be linked to charity or donations given during the freedom struggle? While Sardar Patel had already clarified that this was not a matter of charity. On May 10, 1950, four days later, Sardar Patel wrote a letter saying, “In light of these events, I do not think there is any benefit in pursuing this matter further. I have already told you how I view these activities, and I doubt that if this happened in any other province and I had any connection to it, I would not accept this situation.” This clearly means that he had become disillusioned and did not want to talk about it again. Now, Congress should explain what kind of sacrifice and dedication this was.

Dr. Trivedi stated that this is entirely a matter of commercial transaction and questioned how the Congress can claim that it lies outside the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Directorate or that it is politically motivated. This case began in October 2013, during the UPA government's tenure, based on a Public Interest Litigation and as per directions from the Delhi High Court. Doubts about the matter had existed among Congress leaders since as early as 1950. Another example, both interesting and serious, was cited from the memoirs of senior Congress leader and four-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Chandrabhanu Gupta, published in 2021 as a book titled “Safar Kahin Ruka Nahin, Jhuka Nahin.” The memoirs expressed surprise over the National Herald now being considered Nehru family's property and suggested that if an inquiry were held on how the funds were raised for the National Herald, it would lead to major revelations. From the beginning, the newspaper’s policy aimed to promote Nehru and his daughter, and under the guise of press freedom, it targeted all those who criticized the Nehru family’s flawed policies. It was revealed that Acharya Narendra Dev, Shriprakash, Shiv Prasad Gupta, Purushottam Das Tandon (who became the first Congress President after independence but was removed by Nehru to prevent power from being concentrated in two places), and Chandrabhanu Gupta had sold their shares, while over 100 shares were taken in Nehru’s name so that he could become the director of the company. Some funds came from the Congress and others from money bags gifted to Nehru and other leaders. When Gupta began raising funds for the newspaper, accusations arose that he wanted control over it, yet support was still extended to the newspaper in times of crisis.

BJP National Spokesperson Dr. Trivedi stated that in the National Herald case, the role of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is far behind. The statements of Congress's senior-most leaders and freedom fighters have exposed the complete character, face, and ideology of Congress. A major leading English newspaper has also presented this entire case in detail. References to this case are also found in books. The way Congress has played with the legacy of freedom fighters is a very old issue, continuing from the time they were in power. Now, Congress will say that Nehru is being blamed. The BJP is not blaming Nehru, but these things have been written by leaders such as Sardar Patel, C.B. Gupta, Purushottam Das Tandon, Acharya Narendra Dev, Shivprasad Gupta, and Sriprakash. Congress members should listen to these things carefully. Some time ago, senior Congress leaders were saying that an attempt is being made to show differences. However, C.B. Gupta even wrote that this newspaper became a mouthpiece for the Nehru family and was merely a medium for promoting Nehru and his daughter's propaganda. If even after this, they cannot see anything, it is clear that they are unaware of their own party, and their workers are not standing with them. After this, if anyone raises questions on the legal process, it is completely wrong.

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