ED Alleges ₹2,000 Cr Scam in National Herald Case | Young Indian Under Scanner

ED Alleges ₹2,000 Crore Money Laundering in National Herald Case, Claims Young Indian Was Used to Grab Assets Without Investment

New Delhi | July 12, 2025:

In a major development in the ongoing National Herald case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has leveled serious allegations of money laundering against Young Indian — a company linked to top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. According to the ED, the organization did not conduct any legitimate charitable work despite its status as a trust and allegedly acquired assets worth ₹2,000 crore without making any investment.

The ED claims that individuals who donated funds to Young Indian were later rewarded with election tickets by the Congress Party. This alleged nexus between political funding and favors has reignited fierce political debate across the nation.

The ED states that Young Indian was established under the guise of a charitable organization but acted as a front to acquire and control the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the original publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

Key Allegations Made by ED:

• Young Indian did not perform any charitable activities.

• Over ₹2,000 crore worth of assets were allegedly acquired without any capital investment.

• Several donors were allegedly rewarded with Congress election tickets.

• The operation was allegedly a vehicle for large-scale money laundering and potential hawala activities.

BJP Launches Counterattack

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla slammed the Congress leadership, accusing them of orchestrating a “loot of public trust under the name of charity.”

“This is not just a scam, it’s a well-planned operation where a company called Young Indian was used to loot Indians while pretending to serve them,” said Poonawalla.

He further alleged that the entire framework was designed to serve the personal and political interests of the Gandhi family and to manipulate the political ticket distribution system.

Congress Denies All Charges

The Congress Party has categorically rejected all allegations made by the ED, calling them “politically motivated” and aimed at tarnishing the image of its leaders ahead of upcoming elections.

A senior Congress leader stated, “The ED is being misused as a tool of political vendetta. These allegations are baseless and will not stand in court.”