Action Ed in the National Pioneer Case is to protect the country’s assets: Trade Union Minister Piyush Goyal
The Union Minister of Commerce told reporters here: “Ed’s actions in the National Herald case were to save state assets.”
He said that such property should be returned to the people.
The Enforcement Bureau (ED) has targeted Congressional leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others for money laundering in the National Herald case.
“A shocking problem is in front of the country. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi conspired to acquire a wealth of Rs 20 billion through the state pioneer property. Today, the property is worth Rs 50 billion.”
He said the property was originally awarded to the newspaper by a congressional government and has since stopped operations. “This is a congressional newspaper, and various congressional governments have given it land. The National Herald closed earlier. Then they planned to rent it out. Under the guidance of Congress leaders, the relevant Journals Limited (AJL) has used Rs 3.8 billion as a false prepayment rent.” AJL used to run the National Herald.
The BJP minister, who represented the seat of North Losaba in Mumbai, claimed that Congress collected donations from the public under the guise of social services and political work, but used the money to provide illegal loans to AJL.
He said: “About Rs 900 crore was provided to the AJL as a loan. According to Goyal, the loan was later transferred to young Indians controlled by the Gandhi family.
He said: “After a period of time, the loan of Rs 90 crore was repaid for only Rs 50 crore and was transferred to young Indians. Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi Control were 76% of young Indians. The entire property in 2010-11 was only Rs 50 crore.”
He called the deal a calculation measure to transfer public property to private hands. The minister asked: “Can you tell me any better plans?”
Goyal slams Congress for protesting ED operations.
“When the Emergency Department took action, Congress leaders came to the streets to protest. I condemn the actions of the Congress party, the helpless leaders and the Gandhi family. They abused the government land and changed their ownership.”
Congressional leaders have been protesting around the country, accusing the BJP-led Center of abuse of ED’s supreme leader in the National Herald.
The union minister said that such property should be returned to the people. He claimed: “It should be used for the people, not a Gandhi family, which attempts to preserve it for its own purposes.”
Goyal said the National Pioneer case was filed in 2012 before the Narendra Modi government was in charge of the center. “All the raids happened before we came to power,” he said.
