National Herald Case: BJP Says Court Order ‘No Relief for Gandhis’, Congress Claims ‘Truth Has Prevailed’

New Delhi: The Delhi court’s ruling in the National Herald case on Tuesday triggered sharp political reactions, with the BJP asserting that the order offered “no relief” to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, saying there was no comment on merits of the case, while the Congress claimed the verdict exposed the “malafide and illegal” actions of the government.

No Setback To ED, Gandhis Remain Accused: BJP

Reacting to the Delhi's Rouse Avenue court’s decision of refusing to take note of the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) prosecution complaint against Gandhis, the BJP said the order was neither a setback for the ED nor any relief for the Gandhis, stressing that the court has made no comments on the merits of the case.

The BJP underlined that Judge Vishal Gogne set aside the magistrate’s order directing the Delhi Police to supply a copy of the FIR to the Gandhis and other accused, calling it a clear setback for the Congress leadership.

The party further pointed out that while the National Herald case initially stemmed from a private complaint, the Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) filed an FIR on October 3, 2025, fulfilling the legal requirement of a predicate offence. The ED, it said, pursued the case accordingly under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which allows the agency to share material for registration of the underlying offence.

According to the BJP, the FIR names Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leaders Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda, along with entities, including Young Indian Private Limited, Associated Journals Limited (AJL), Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd, its promoter Sunil Bhandari, and unidentified others. Charges invoked include criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust and dishonest misappropriation, linked to allegations of fraudulent takeover of AJL assets worth around Rs 2,000 crore.

The BJP maintained that the fresh EOW FIR strengthens the ED’s money laundering probe by establishing a formal predicate offence, reiterating that the Gandhis remain accused and have received no relief whatsoever.

Politically motivated case collapses: Congress

The Congress, however, struck a triumphant note, declaring that “truth has prevailed”. In a statement posted by the party, Congress alleged that the court has found the ED proceedings against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to be illegal and without jurisdiction.

The party said the court ruled that the ED’s case could not proceed in the absence of an FIR, exposing what it called a politically motivated prosecution by the Narendra Modi government over the past decade. Congress rejected allegations of money laundering, asserting there were no proceeds of crime, no movement of property and no offence made out.

Calling the case a campaign of “political witch hunt, propaganda and reputation assassination”, the Congress said the verdict vindicates its stand and strengthens its resolve to continue fighting for truth and democratic rights.

“Satyamev Jayate,” the party said, asserting that it would not be intimidated by what it termed as “misuse of central agencies”.

The National Herald Probe

The National Herald case originated from a complaint filed by former MP Subramanian Swamy, alleging misuse of funds by Congress leaders and companies linked to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL).

The case centres on allegations that the Congress‑linked newspaper was transferred to ‘Young Indian’ in a manner that may have defrauded the public exchequer. The investigation, launched earlier this year, has now drawn in a senior state leader.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police’s request is sweeping, covering tax filings, banking records, donation paperwork and any correspondence that could shed light on the financial trail linking Shivakumar to ‘Young Indian’ or the AICC. The police are also keen to understand whether any payments to or from the deputy chief minister were made on instructions from other party officials.

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