Will not be cowed down by such threats: Cong on ED chargesheet in National Herald case
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New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday claimed that the ED chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case only shows the panic and moral bankruptcy of the government, and said it will not be cowed down by such threats.
In a long post in Hindi, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh issued an explainer of the financial loan given to Associated Journals Limited, the company running National Herald, and termed as false the charges that Young Indian has taken over Rs 5,000 crore of properties of Associated Journals.
"You have been in power for 11 years, you have no evidence, no proof, nothing - otherwise you would not have been forced to wait for the 365th day.
"This shows not only the government's panic but also their mental and moral bankruptcy. Modi ji, this is the Congress party. The blood of Rahul ji and Sonia Gandhi's own people is mixed in the soil of this country, show these false threats to someone else," Ramesh said.
"We will continue to raise our voice loudly against your failures, your collusion with capitalists, your politics of hatred, how unemployed and helpless you have made this country, what is the condition of women, Dalits, backward, tribals under your nose," he also said.
Congress leader Pawan Khera, in a video post on X, said it was the British who used to fear from the publication National Herald in the past while it is the RSS now.
"The British were irritated before 1947 with the National Herald, Gandhi family and Congress party, and now the Sanghis are getting irritated in the year 2025. The Gandhi family and the Congress party were the voice of the oppressed then and still are today.
"Filing a money laundering case against a not-for-profit company in which not even a single rupee was transacted and no property was transferred shows Modi's fear," Khera said in his post.
Ramesh explained the truth about AJL and Young Indian, saying the claims that 'Young Indian' took over AJL, the Gandhi family is making a lot of money from it and Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi embezzled money are all false.
He said Associated Journals Ltd publishes a newspaper - National Herald, it was founded by people like Nehru, Ravi Ahmed Kidwai and Purushottam Das Tandon.
"National Herald was the voice of the freedom struggle when most newspapers used to print the views of the British. National Herald was also banned by the British government," he noted.
"AJL had a huge debt, so the Congress party gave it a loan of Rs 90 crore through 100 bank transactions/ cheques between 2002-2011. This loan was used to pay VRS, gratuity, PF, tax, electricity bill," he claimed.
On the formation of 'Young Indian' Company, he said, AJL had so much debt that its operations had stopped, so AJL's debt was converted into equity and transferred to a new company Young Indian.
"This is a common practice, the government itself has converted the debt of many companies into equity in NCLT. Young Indian is a not-for-profit company and it is a Section 25 not for profit company - in which the shareholders cannot get even a single penny of profit, dividend, salary etc," he noted.
Ramesh said Young Indian had four shareholders - Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Oscar Fernandes, Motilal Vora (then party president, general secretary, organization general secretary and treasurer).
"AJL had 700 shareholders, the debt was converted into shares only after their consent in the EGM - due to which Young Indian also became another shareholder," he said.
Asserting that Young Indian did not takeover AJL, Ramesh said, "All assets and income belong to AJL, not Young Indian. Any rental goes to AJL - not to Young Indian or any of its shareholders. AJL does not have property worth Rs 5,000 crores. Another lie told is that AJL has property worth Rs 5,000 crores and the IT Dept itself has valued all the properties of AJL at just Rs 359 crores. Now AJL publishes Navjeevan and National Herald newspapers, publishes Qaumi Awaaz, runs websites, social media handles".
Explaining the case timeline, he said in 2013, Subramanian Swamy went to court in this case and fought this case till 2020 after which he started speaking against PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, due to which Modi and Shah became apprehensive.
"Out of fear, the government filed another case on its behalf. In 2023, the government's ED issued a provisional order of attachment. On 10 April, 2024, the tribunal confirmed this provisional order of attachment, within 365 days of which ED had to file a charge sheet. They filed this fake charge sheet on 9 April, 2025, the 365th day - which has been made public today," he said.
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India, Ethiopia elevate ties to strategic partnership as PM Modi holds talks with his counterpart
Addis Ababa (PTI): India and Ethiopia on Tuesday elevated their historical ties to a strategic partnership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Ethiopian counterpart Abiy Ahmed Ali during which they discussed issues of bilateral and mutual interest.
Modi, who arrived here from Jordan on his maiden bilateral visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the National Palace ahead of the bilateral talks, reflecting the vibrant India-Ethiopia relations rooted in shared history and a promising future.
"We are elevating India and Ethiopia relations to a strategic partnership. This step will provide new energy, new momentum and new depth to our ties," Prime Minister Modi said during the delegation-level talks.
He thanked PM Ali for his support in India's fight against terrorism. "The support of friendly countries in this struggle against terrorism holds great significance," Modi said.
"Today, we got the opportunity to deliberate on the key aspects of our cooperation, such as economy, innovation, technology, defence, health, capacity-building and multilateral cooperation. I am pleased that today, we have decided to double the student scholarship for Ethiopia in India," Modi said.
Modi said that India and Ethiopia have shared contact, dialogue, and exchange for thousands of years. The two countries, which are rich in languages and traditions, are symbols of unity in diversity, he added.
"Both countries are democratic powers committed to peace and the welfare of humanity. We are co-travellers and partners of the Global South. On international platforms, we have stood shoulder-to-shoulder," he said.
The two sides signed eight MoUs/agreements, including upgrading ties to 'Strategic Partnership', customs cooperation, establishing data center at the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, UN Peacekeeping training cooperation, debt restructuring under G20, more ICCR scholarships and AI short courses for Ethiopians, and support for maternal and neonatal healthcare.
Modi said the African Union's headquarters in Ethiopia makes the country a meeting point of African diplomacy. "Inspired by the common vision of an inclusive world, in 2023, India ensured that the African Union became a G20 member," he said.
In 2023, during India’s G20 Presidency, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20.
Modi said that though this is his first visit, he felt a deep sense of belonging and warmth, reflecting the thousands of years of connection between the two countries.
On his part, Prime Minister Ali said the two countries share over thousands of years of connection through trade, diplomacy, education, culture and even in our food and traditions. "These ties continue to shape a deep friendship, collaboration and mutual respect between our people," he said.
"We also appreciate your consistent message that Africa's priorities must lead the partnership. These kinds of dignified, respectful messages for Africa are very important. Mr Prime Minister, keep pushing. That is the type of message we are expecting from all our trusted friends," Ali said.
He said this aligned fully with Ethiopia's development plan - African-owned, African-led, and African-defined.
"Today, we meet with a clear focus to shape a modern partnership, grounded in sovereignty, self-reliance and practical cooperation. Our cooperation is rooted in equality and South-South solidarity," he said.
"Our economy is performing strongly. Last year, we grew 9.2% and this year we are expecting 10.3% GDP growth. Besides GDP growth, our FDI inflow is also rising big time. India is the leading source for our FDI," he said.
"We have more than 615 Indian companies which are investing in Ethiopia. This all gives our cooperation a strong foundation of trust. I think our decision today that we elevate our historic relationship to a strategic relationship is the right decision," he added.
Ethiopia also conferred its highest award - The Great Honour Nishan of Ethiopia - on PM Modi. He is the first global head of state to receive this award.
Prime Minister Modi also went to the Friendship Park and Friendship Square in Addis Ababa with PM Ali.
In a warm and special gesture, PM Modi was earlier received by his Ethiopian counterpart at the airport and accorded a warm and colourful welcome.
"Ethiopia is a nation with great history and vibrant culture," Modi said.
PM Ali informed his Indian counterpart about the varieties of Ethiopian coffee during informal talks.
"At Addis Ababa airport, took part in a traditional Coffee Ceremony with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. The ceremony beautifully highlights Ethiopia’s rich heritage," Modi said.
In a unique gesture, the Ethiopian Prime Minister drove Modi to the hotel.
On the way, he took a special initiative of taking PM Modi to the Science Museum and Friendship Park, which was not in the itinerary.
"Gratitude to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for showing me glimpses of Ethiopian history and culture at the National Palace Museum in Addis Ababa. It was a powerful reminder of Ethiopia’s rich traditions," Modi said in a post on X.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Ethiopian PM’s special gestures show remarkable respect for Modi, sources said.
"Thank you Ethiopia for a welcome that was unforgettable. The Indian community showed remarkable warmth and affection. India-Ethiopia friendship is going to get even more robust in the times to come," Modi said.
When Modi arrived at the hotel, he was warmly welcomed by the members of the Indian community. Local artists performed dances. Some of them danced on the theme of the popular Hindi song 'Aisa Des Hai Mera' to welcome him.
On Wednesday, Modi will address the Joint Session of Parliament and share his thoughts on India's journey as the "Mother of Democracy" and the value that the India-Ethiopia partnership can bring to the Global South.
PM Modi arrived in Ethiopia from Jordan, where he held a one-on-one meeting with King Abdullah II at the Husseiniya Palace on Monday before the delegation-level talks.
India and Jordan also inked MoUs in the fields of culture, renewable energy, water management, digital public infrastructure and twinning arrangement between Petra and Ellora, aimed at giving a major boost to bilateral ties and friendship.
From Ethiopia, Modi will visit Oman on the final leg of this three-nation tour.
