Salient points of Press Conference of Senior BJP Leader and Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri
Congress's real interest was not in the newspaper; this family had already been active in real estate with the properties of AJL.
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Plot number 5A, located on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, was allotted to AJL in 1963 at a rate of ₹1.25 lakh per acre. The plot was intended for a press and office, but an investigation in 2016 revealed that there was never a printing press in the building
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The basement of this building was completely vacant, while the ground and first floors were rented out to the passport office, and the second and third floors were rented to Tata Consultancy Services, generating a significant rental income
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Only ₹50 lakh was paid for the transfer of 99% of AJL's shares to Young India, while the value of AJL's properties was over ₹2000 crore. Some even claim that their actual value is close to ₹5000 crore
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Congress party workers should raise their voices against those leaders in their party who misused charitable purposes and used party resources for personal gain
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In November 2010, the Gandhi family formed a new company called "Young India" and paid only ₹50 lakh to settle a loan of ₹90 crore
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What were Kharge and other Congress leaders doing when the newspaper shut down in 2008? Please provide a list of the efforts Congress made to continue running the newspaper at that time
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In 2008, the publication of the National Herald newspaper ceased, and the case began in 2012-13. There was no intervention from the BJP government in this matter
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In 2014, when this case came before the Metropolitan Magistrate, the Magistrate clearly stated that “It appears that Young India Limited was created with the purpose of converting public funds into private use”
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Union Minister and Senior BJP Leader Shri Hardeep Singh Puri addressed a press conference at the party's central office on Thursday. During the conference, Shri Puri made major revelations about the involvement of Congress leaders in the National Herald case. He stated that the building allotted to National Herald was never used for running a press. Instead, Congress leaders misused these buildings for personal and commercial purposes, thereby deceiving Congress workers and the entire nation.
Shri Puri said that when the Enforcement Directorate filed this case, Congress leaders accused the Modi government of political vendetta and misusing central agencies. The BJP simply wants to tell Congress to engage in some self-reflection. The Congress party is misleading its own workers—when in reality, they should be protesting against their own leadership. The history of the National Herald is quite old; it was established in 1937. However, the publication of this newspaper ceased in 2008, and the National Herald case began around 2012–13, at a time when the BJP was not in power. The real question is: how was property worth ₹2,000 crore acquired with just ₹50 lakh?
Union Minister Shri Puri stated that the National Herald case is one of fraud, corruption, and money laundering, and is essentially a shut-and-closed case. When the matter was brought before the Metropolitan Magistrate in 2014, the Magistrate had clearly stated, "It appears that Young Indian Limited (YIL) was created with the intent of converting public money to personal use." Since 2014, the case has been moving through various courts, and the Congress party has repeatedly tried to delay the proceedings by deploying its team of lawyers. Young Indian Limited was registered in 2010 as a Section 25 company with the stated objective of charity and an initial capital of ₹50 lakh. Despite this, the Congress party extended a loan of around ₹80–90 lakh to it. The pertinent question now is—what steps did the Congress party take to recover this amount? Subsequently, assets worth ₹2,000 crore were acquired in exchange for just ₹50 lakh.
Shri Puri stated that the BJP would also like to remind everyone that the printing of the National Herald was stopped in 2008. There are some significant details about the land allotted at that time as well. While serving as the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, some details about this matter were gathered over a span of seven years. Plot No. 5A, located on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and spread across 3.365 acres, was allotted in 1963 to AIL Associates Journals Limited (AJL) at the rate of ₹1.25 lakh per acre. At the time of this allotment, it was clearly specified that the proposed building would have five floors—with a basement, the ground floor reserved for the press, and the upper floors for offices. Now the question arises—why was this land and building allotted under such terms? It is evident that the Congress party acquired the land at concessional rates, whereas purchasing it at market value would have cost significantly more. After obtaining the land at low cost, a five-storey building was constructed, but the press operations there shut down in 2008. Upon inspection of these properties in 2016, it was found that no printing activity was taking place. The basement was completely vacant, the ground and first floors had been rented out to a passport office, and the second and third floors were leased to Tata Consultancy Services, from which substantial rental income was being generated.
Senior BJP Leader Shri Puri stated that it must be examined how an initiative carried out in the name of charity was, in reality, a misuse of resources for personal gain. Congress party workers should raise their voices against those leaders within their own party who misused charitable objectives and exploited party resources for private benefit. Petitions regarding these properties were filed in the Delhi High Court on December 30, 2018, and again in 2019. In this case, the matter remained under judicial consideration, but now the process is moving forward. In such a situation, the question arises as to why it is being raised again and whether the objective is merely to evade the legal process. It is important to ask why there was such a delay in this case. Here, the prominent and experienced lawyer is in a different situation, where both the lawyer's and the MP's issues are at the forefront.
Shri Puri stated that Congress' real interest was not in the newspaper; the family was already active in ‘real estate’ concerning AJL's properties. In November 2010, the family created a new company named "Young India" and paid only ₹50 lakh to clear a ₹90 crore outstanding loan. When a loan is taken from a bank, the bank offers an interest rate, but if the loan is not paid back, the amount increases. However, in this case, Congress bought a ₹90 crore loan for just ₹50 lakh, and along with it, they acquired properties worth ₹2000 crore. The building where the press was located, which had already shut down, was now being leased out commercially, and this property was situated in a prime location.
Union Minister Shri Puri stated that this is a major case of fraud, corruption, and money laundering. On April 9, 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a charge sheet in this case, which was presented in a special court. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for April 25, 2025. Prominent Congress leaders have been named as the main accused in this case. These leaders decided to sell properties in the market for which they were promised money. According to sources, these leaders neither paid salaries to the employees nor provided gratuity payments. Despite this, the properties were sold in the market, and many people contributed to this. The names of several individuals, including Motilal Vora, have prominently surfaced in this case. Now, the question arises, how can public properties be acquired and sold in such a manner? We demand that the authenticity of the documents related to this case be verified and that transparency be maintained in the investigation process.
Shri Puri stated that when the National Herald was first established, the names of its contributors should once again be examined. What kind of fraud and money laundering case is this? Young India acquired most of the shares of Associated Journals Limited (AJL). Only ₹50 lakh was paid to transfer 99% of AJL’s shares to Young India, while the value of AJL’s properties was over ₹2000 crore. Some even claim that their actual value is close to ₹5000 crore. When anyone files their tax return, they are required to disclose the actual value of their assets. Therefore, the question arises, what is the real value of these properties, and what is the reason behind the financial transactions associated with them?
Senior BJP Leader Shri Puri stated that if you assess the value of these properties in 1986, their value has certainly increased by now. This situation further clarifies the fraudulent nature of the case. The matter should be brought out through the press and media. If the assets are valued at ₹2000 crore or ₹5000 crore, it completely depends on the valuation date. Congress claims that agencies have now become active. BJP’s question is, why didn’t these agencies act earlier? This case has been ongoing since 2012 and is extremely serious—no case of this magnitude has ever been witnessed. The way public properties have been acquired is a highly sensitive issue.
Shri Puri stated that the Income Tax Department flagged Kolkata's “Dotex” company. Dotex was engaged in business activities providing accommodation entries, meaning it accepted cash and issued cheques. This raises serious questions about why such activities are being carried out with public and private properties and who is behind them. Public properties are being treated lightly, and then protests are organized to divert attention. Congress workers should protest against Congress leaders who exploit public properties through fraud. These individuals are misleading the public.
Union Minister Shri Puri stated that the Congress will not admit its mistake. The National President of Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, stated that the newspaper was historically significant, but then it shut down. The BJP wants to ask Congress, “What were you doing when the newspaper shut down in 2008? Please provide a list of the efforts you made to revive the newspaper after that time.” Congress should answer this question.
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