New Delhi, April 18, 2025 – BJP MP Anurag Thakur launched a scathing attack on Congress Thursday, branding the National Herald newspaper an “ATM” for the Gandhi family, as ED raids on Herald House and 12 related sites in Delhi reignited the 2012 case. Speaking at a Hamirpur rally, Thakur accused Sonia and Rahul Gandhi of siphoning Rs 600 crore via Young Indian Pvt Ltd, a “sham” firm controlling Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) assets (Hindustan Times).
“They loot public wealth, then cry victim,” Thakur said, alleging AJL’s Rs 2,000 crore properties—Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow—were grabbed through a Rs 90 crore loan write-off (The Indian Express). ED’s Monday raids, seizing documents, followed a 2015 court order—Sonia and Rahul, on bail, face fresh heat (Times of India). Congress hit back, with Jairam Ramesh calling it “BJP’s revenge for 99 seats” in 2024 (The Hindu). Protests by 200 Congress workers outside 24 Akbar Road were dwarfed by X fire—“Gandhis’ ATM exposed!” vs. “ED’s a BJP tool!” (post:1).
The case’s roots run deep—AJL, founded in 1937, shut presses in 2013; Young Indian, 90% owned by Gandhis, took over in 2010 (The Economic Times). ED claims the deal was a front—Rs 50 lakh got Rs 2,000 crore in real estate (Business Standard). “It’s not journalism—it’s a scam,” Thakur roared, echoing 2024’s 15 opposition-targeted ED raids (India Today). Congress insists AJL’s revival was legit, but 1,800 pending Waqf cases show ED’s bandwidth (NDTV). For India’s 14 crore voters, it’s a trust tug-of-war—2026 looms large (ECI).
This isn’t just politics—it’s a cage match. Will Thakur’s jab sink Congress, or fuel Gandhi defiance?
