As crucial polls approach, National Herald case is back in the spotlight

In recent weeks, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raked up the 'National Herald' case frequently. Now, a report claims that the Narendra Modi government has moved to take over the Herald House building in central Delhi for "violation of conditions on which it was allotted".

The National Herald is the mouthpiece of the Congress and owned by the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which in turn is owned by Nehru-Gandhi family. The Congress has said the move is politically motivated and will be challenged in court. The move to acquire the property has much political significance.

It comes in the wake of the Modi government facing political heat like never before in its 54-month tenure. It has surprised many that the first full majority government in 30-years, with a leadership that prides itself on its ‘tough’ image, can get rattled enough to order a midnight raid in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters and lock horns with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

With assembly elections to five states approaching, results of which could have a bearing on the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the assiduously stitched ‘invincibility cloak’ of Prime Minister Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah suddenly has holes that even the duo’s most die-hard supporters have found difficult to ignore.

The Congress attacks on the Modi government on the Rafale fighter jet deal, its failures to stop economic offenders from leaving the country and criticism from within, particularly on corruption issues by the indefatigable Subramanian Swamy, have come to haunt the Modi government. Swamy is fighting a case on the National Herald "scam" in a Delhi court and has lately been upset with the Modi government for not having done enough on corruption allegations against Gandhi family members and Congress leaders like P Chidambaram.

BJP spokespersons, including union ministers, have sought to reply to allegations on the Rafale deal by drawing attention to allegations of corruption against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and against the Nehru-Gandhi family in what is known as the National Herald case. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and others have attempted to show the spotlight on the ‘National Herald’ case in recent weeks.

On Saturday, Patra held a press conference on the roadside in front of a commercial building in Bhopal’s MP Nagar area, where he claimed the land allotted to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which owns the National Herald, was given to the Gandhi family at lower than the market rate for printing the newspaper, but is being “misused”. When asked why the 15-year-old BJP government did not get the property vacated, Patra said the Bhopal Development Authority has issued eviction notices and the case was before a court. Madhya Pradesh is one of the five poll-bound states.

Now, a report published on Thursday states that the Modi government has decided to take over Herald House. The building is located on the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in the heart of New Delhi, and currently, the Ministry of External Affairs runs its passport seva kendra from the premises. The report quoted government sources who claimed AJL, the owner of the building, has violated rules. They said the land was allotted for installing a printing press and bringing out a newspaper, but much of the building has been rented out and there is presence of unauthorised construction as well. The report said an eviction notice has been sent to the owners.

The National Herald is the mouthpiece of the Congress party, nd was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938. Its publication was stopped in 2008, and there have been attempts in the last two years to relaunch the newspaper.