National Herald row: Sarma jibes at Gandhis, seeks secret to Rs 2,000-Cr ‘business model’
In response to Guwahati protests, Sarma calls out Congress workers for blindly following leaders without seeking transparency
A file image of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (Photo: @himantabiswa/ X)
Guwahati, April 16: Amid ongoing Congress protests against the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet in the National Herald case, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched a scathing attack on Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.
Sarma questioned the meteoric rise in the net worth of the National Herald after its takeover by the Gandhi family, demanding transparency on what he sarcastically dubbed their “superior business model.”
“From Rs 50 lakh, its net worth rose to Rs 2,000 crore! Even industrial giants like Adani and Ambani haven’t seen such exponential growth in such a short span. So how did Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi manage this miracle? We asked them, but they didn’t reveal the secret. Now the court will. With the ED filing the chargesheet, they’ll finally be answerable,” Sarma said, while addressing the press during a review visit to Pragjyotishpur Medical College and Hospital, on Wednesday.
He alleged that the National Herald, originally a non-profit Section 8 entity, “was fraudulently taken over by the Gandhis”.
“This was supposed to be like our cancer foundation — non-profit. But suddenly, it started making profits. If Rahul Gandhi can share that model, I can use it to transform Assam’s economy,” he remarked pointedly.
Sarma also took aim at Congress workers for blindly backing their leaders without demanding accountability.
“There are poor and middle-class Congress workers who are unaware of how their leaders are minting money. They work in rundown party offices like Rajiv Bhawan in Assam, while the Gandhis enjoy Rs 2,000 crore. If that money is returned, it could be used to rebuild the party and empower the workers,” he said.
In a final jibe, he added, “Instead of protesting against the BJP, they should ask their leaders to share their business model. Maybe then, even we can benefit from it.”
The National Herald case, which has reignited political controversy, centres on the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.
Originally established by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the publication was once a key voice of the freedom movement.
The ED alleges that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, through a company named Young Indian, acquired AJL’s assets—then valued at over Rs 2,000 crore—by investing only Rs 50 lakh.
The agency filed its chargesheet in a Delhi court on April 9, naming the Gandhis along with senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda.
In response, Congress leaders and workers staged nationwide protests on Wednesday, with Guwahati witnessing a rally earlier in the day.
Senior leaders including APCC president Bhupen Borah, Ripun Borah, Mira Borthakur, Sarukhetri MLA Jakir Hussain Sikdar, and several others were detained while marching from Rajiv Bhawan to the ED office.