Hemant govt gave ads worth crores to National Herald, helped Cong: Marandi

Ranchi: Justifying the probe by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul, in the National Herald case, sate BJP on Wednesday accused the Hemant Soren-led INDIA bloc govt of helping Congress and its shady dealings by giving crores of rupees in advertisements.

State BJP president and Leader of Opposition in state assembly Babulal Marandi also criticised Congress for trying to mislead people by staging protests.

"Congress not only engages in theft but also brazenly tries to cover up its loot through protests. ED's action is a rightful move by an independent investigative agency. Congress party does not have the right to loot land and funds across the country," he said.

The National Herald was started in 1937 with 5,000 shareholders. It was never the private property of the Nehru family and supported by prominent revolutionaries of the time, he added.

"The publication of the National Herald ceased in 2008 due to financial failure. Subsequently, Congress provided Rs 90 crore to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the newspaper. Congress orchestrated a corporate conspiracy to transfer the entire property of the National Herald into the hands of the Gandhi family," he alleged.

He said Hemant govt, supported by Congress, squandered money of the poor by giving advertisements to the National Herald. "Hemant govt has provided crores worth of advertisements to the National Herald. Advertisements were published by the Jharkhand govt in it with CM's photo on August 13, 2023, and January 21, 2024," he claimed.