In another major shock to the Congress and the Gandhi family in the National Herald case, the urban development ministry is all set to take over the headquarters of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the Congress mouthpiece, National Herald newspaper. The urban development ministry has already sent a notice to AJL in this regard.
As per a report by The Pioneer, house and premises that were allotted to the AJL in Press Enclave in ITO, were not being used for publication of newspapers for the past 10 years in gross violation of the allotment rules. According to the sources in the ministry, a probe team which inspected the concerned premises had come to the conclusion that no newspaper publishing activity was taking place there. It was only after this inspection by the probe team that the ministry decided to move towards taking over the Herald House.
The plot had been allotted to AJL at highly subsidised rates for publication of newspapers, just like other media houses in the Press Enclave area. As per the lease agreement with the government, AJL was supposed to return the plot as and when it stopped publishing newspapers from the said plot. However, even after 10 years of becoming defunct, the Gandhi-family owned company failed to act as per the agreement with the government. However, according to the sources the government will give one more hearing to AJL in order to explain its side following which the government will appoint a receiver to take over the building.
It has further been reported by The Pioneer, that the ministry acted on a complaint by senior BJP leader, Subramanian Swamy who has already dragged the Gandhis to the court in the National Herald case. Sources have revealed that the ministry has received several complaints of similar violations in many other buildings in the Press Enclave Area, probe teams would be asked to conduct a spot inspection and determine whether premises are being illegally held. This shows how defunct media outlets are blatantly violating allotment rules and illegally holding on to government land. Sources within the ministry further state, “Except a few, many buildings in the Press Enclave Area have violated the allotment rules and are thus subject to takeover by the Government as there is no newspaper publication activity.”
The National Herald case has already created a lot of trouble for the Gandhi family. In December 2017, the Income Tax Department had imposed a fine of Rs 250 crore on the Gandhi family owned and controlled Young India, for taking over AJL in a “covert and fraudulent” way. Delhi High Court ordered Young India to deposit Rs. 10 crores for entertaining its plea against the Income Tax order. Meanwhile, Subramanian Swamy had already filed a petition against the Gandhis in view of the murky transactions in the National Herald case. It is now in process of submission of evidence by the petitioner Swamy, who started his deposition on July 15. The matter will next come up on August 25 before the court.
National Herald case had already caused a lot of embarrassment for the Congress and the ruling family within the Congress and now with another irregularity coming to light, they have only been further embarrassed. The Gandhis and the party owned by them will have a hard time explaining why the property was held onto for 10 years despite no publication activity in clear violation of allotment rules. This virtually amounts to misrepresentation and fraud on part of the owners of AJL.
