India’s main opposition party, Congress, has announced it will stage nationwide protests on Wednesday in response to fresh money laundering charges filed against top leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The accusations come from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), India’s financial crimes agency, which claims the Congress leaders used a shell company to illegally acquire assets tied to the historic National Herald newspaper.
The ED presented its findings in a Delhi court on Tuesday, alleging that the Gandhis orchestrated a scheme to take over the now-defunct newspaper’s publisher, Associated Journals Limited (AJL), and its assets — valued at over ₹20 billion (approx. $233 million) — through a low-cost transfer to a new company, Young Indian, which they largely control.
Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh dismissed the charges as “politics of vendetta and intimidation,” accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of targeting political opponents ahead of national elections. The Gandhis, who have repeatedly denied wrongdoing, have not yet publicly responded to the new allegations.
Background: The National Herald Controversy
The National Herald was founded in 1938 by India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru — Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather — and was closely associated with India’s freedom struggle. It stopped printing in 2008 due to financial difficulties but was later revived as a digital news platform in 2017 under Congress oversight.
At the heart of the controversy is the transfer of AJL’s debts to Young Indian, a nonprofit company in which Sonia and Rahul each hold a 38% stake. Congress claims the party simply helped bail out a historically significant publication by lending AJL ₹900 million, which was later converted into equity.
However, the ED argues that Young Indian acquired AJL’s vast real estate holdings for just ₹5 million, an amount far below their actual value. The agency has already issued notices to seize assets worth ₹6.6 billion in cities like Delhi and Mumbai.
Other prominent Congress leaders, including overseas chief Sam Pitroda and the late Motilal Vora, are also named in the investigation, which stems from a 2021 complaint filed by BJP politician Subramanian Swamy.
Political Fallout and Accusations of Misuse of Power
The case is set for hearing on April 25, but it has already reignited debate over the Modi government’s alleged use of investigative agencies to suppress opposition voices. According to a 2024 Reuters report, the ED has targeted around 150 opposition politicians since 2014 — a pattern that critics say shows selective enforcement.
One high-profile example was the 2023 arrest of Delhi’s former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a liquor-related corruption case. He spent five months in jail before being released on bail, just weeks ahead of elections.
Congress says Wednesday’s protests are meant to send a strong message against what it calls the “weaponisation of law enforcement” under the Modi administration.
