India's Gandhis charged in money laundering case amid opposition outcry

In a significant development in Indian politics, Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi, prominent leaders of the Congress party, have been charged with money laundering, a serious allegation that they have vehemently denied. The Congress party has announced plans to organize nationwide protests on Wednesday in response to these charges. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is responsible for investigating financial crimes, presented its findings in a Delhi court, accusing the Gandhis of establishing a shell company to illegally acquire assets of the National Herald newspaper, valued at over 233 million dollars. Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh has labeled these accusations as politically motivated attacks by the government. The Gandhis, who have consistently denied any wrongdoing, have not issued any new statements regarding the charges. The National Herald, a newspaper with a rich history, was relaunched in 2016 as a digital news platform after ceasing operations in 2008. The investigation also implicates other Congress party members, including Sam Pitroda, who oversees the party's operations abroad. The ED initiated its investigation in 2021 following a private complaint from Subramanian Swamy, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Swamy alleged that the Gandhis misused party funds to take control of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald, and illegally acquired properties worth millions through AJL. Although the newspaper stopped publishing in 2008, it was later revived as a digital outlet. The Congress party asserts that it supported the publisher due to its historical significance and claims to have lent over 900 million rupees to AJL over the years. In 2010, AJL became debt-free by converting its debt into equity and transferring shares to a newly formed company called Young Indian, which the party describes as a non-profit entity that does not distribute dividends to its shareholders. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are directors of Young Indian, each holding a 38% stake, while the remaining 24% is owned by other Congress leaders, including Motilal Vora and Sam Pitroda. Recently, the ED stated that Young Indian acquired AJL properties worth 20 billion rupees for just 5 million, significantly undervaluing their actual worth. The agency has also identified several properties valued at 6. 6 billion rupees across various Indian cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, that are linked to Young Indian. The case is set to be heard again on April 25. In recent years, the opposition has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of using the ED as a tool against political rivals. According to data compiled by Reuters, the agency has summoned, questioned, or raided around 150 opposition politicians since Modi took office in 2014. Last year, the ED arrested former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with an alleged liquor scam just a month before crucial general elections, and he spent five months in jail before being released on bail. The National Herald newspaper was founded in 1938 by Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister and Rahul Gandhi's great-grandfather. The newspaper ceased publication in 2008 due to financial difficulties but was acquired by the Congress party in 2010 and relaunched as a digital news outlet in 2016. It was published by Associated Journals Limited (AJL), established in 1937 with 5,000 freedom fighters as shareholders. The National Herald became known for its association with India's freedom struggle and its nationalist stance. Nehru often wrote strong columns, which led to the British government banning the paper in 1942. It reopened three years later. After India gained independence in 1947, Nehru resigned as chairman of the newspaper to become prime minister, but the Congress party continued to play a significant role in shaping the newspaper's ideology. In a message to the National Herald on its silver jubilee in 1963, Nehru spoke about the paper's tendency to favor Congress policy while maintaining an independent outlook. Over the years, the National Herald grew to be a leading English daily, supported by the Congress party, until it shut down in 2008 due to financial troubles.