Union min targets Cong in National Herald case

Jaisalmer: Union culture and tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Saturday alleged that though Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were granted bail, they were involved in National Herald newspaper scam.

Shekhawat claimed that not a single copy of this newspaper was printed for several years.

During an event in Pokhran, Shekhawat said how any newspaper could receive donations under the guise of advertisements when no physical copies were being printed. Various govts in Congress-ruled states participated in this scheme for years via a company, funnelling donations towards the publication of the newspaper but without producing any issues, he alleged.

Shekhawat revealed that an investigation into the donating company showed no such entity existed nor was there any registered office. He claimed it ultimately came to light that the scam was carried out after some Congress leaders faced threats. The minister accused Congress of robbing the country in this way for the past 55 years.

He said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently filed a chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in relation to the National Herald case, which led to Congress members holding district-level protests, chanting slogans against both the govt and the ED.

He further asserted that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into office, such cases have been pursued diligently, with chargesheets brought against those involved in corruption and steps taken to recover misappropriated funds.