The year was 1937. The spirits were high and the aim was clear—freedom.  India was yearning for freedom. To give voice to the freedom movement in the country, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Purushottam Tandon, Acharya Narendra Dev, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai and other leaders in the struggle started the National Herald newspaper published by a company called Associated Journals Ltd. The newspaper gained popularity soon such that in a span of just 5 years, the British government felt so threatened that it banned its publication in 1942 during the  ‘Quit-India’ Movement. An event that was described as “A Tragedy for the National Movement” by Mahatma Gandhi. 

The British feared not the newspaper but the truth it carried and the spirit of the Congress party that stood for truth, justice and equality, and all the ideas that formed the foundation of an independent India. Today, after 75 years of freedom, those ideas are threatened again. This time, it is not an outsider that is threatening the idea of India but its own government—PM Modi’s government—yet, their reaction is the same as the British, who used their brute power to silence and crush the voices raised against their tyranny and misrule.

The ruling party's use of the central agencies for its own vendetta is a worrying and shameful reality of new India and its newest target is ‘National Herald’ and the Congress party—those who built the India they’re ruling today. The Enforcement Directorate acting on a fabricated and fake case summoned Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Shri Rahul Gandhi for questioning related to money laundering. This case with no standing or evidence is just another attempt by the BJP government to attack the voices that question their failures and speak out against their despotism.

**What is the National Herald case?**

Despite the editorial excellence of the paper, National Herald continued to face trouble sustaining itself financially and ran into losses with outstanding dues of Rs. 90 crores. To help the newspaper get through the crisis, Indian National Congress loaned Rs. 90 crores to it in the years between 2002 to 2011 in about 100 installments. Out of the whole amount loaned, National Herald used Rs. 67 crores to pay salary and VRS of its employees. The rest of the money was used for payment of dues related to electricity, tenancy, building expenditure etc. This loan was duly disclosed in books of accounts of the Congress Party, duly audited and submitted to the Election Commission of India. 

Since National Herald and the AJL were deemed unable to repay the loan later, the loan was converted into equity shares of Associated Journals Ltd. As Indian National Congress can not own equity shares, the equity was allotted to ‘Young Indian’, a Section-25 ‘Not-For-Profit’ company. Now, the point to note here is that Shareholders/Managing Committee members of a ‘Not-For-Profit’ company are prohibited by law from getting any dividend, profit, salary or any other financial benefit. Therefore, the question of any gain or profit or financial benefit to either Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Shri Rahul Gandhi or any other person in ‘Young Indian’ is completely out of the line and thus, it makes any claim of illegal gain or profit or financial benefit inherently false.

All income and all assets of the National Herald continue to remain the exclusive property of Associated Journals Limited as its assets are owned by the company and not any shareholder. **How can there be money laundering if there has been no transfer of any movable or immovable property/assets of Associated Journals Limited nor has ‘Young Indian’ withdrawn a single rupee from Associated Journals Limited?**

The National Herald is a legacy for our nation. It is no crime to protect a national legacy. Also, the grant of a loan by a political party is not a criminal offence under any law in India. **How can the Congress Party granting loans to Associated Journals Limited (a company closely associated with the Congress Party since 1937 and espousing the ideology of Congress) be called a criminal offence?**

Even the Election Commission in its letter to Subramanian Swamy in November 2012 clarified that there is no provision in the Representation of the People Act that prohibits or controls expenditure by a political party. The facts of this case make it clear that this is no case of money laundering but a callous maneuver by the BJP to weaken and threaten the Congress and the ideology it carries with it. Like the British felt intimidated by the truth and resorted to muzzling the voice of Congress in 1942, the BJP is also intimidated because the voices it is trying to suppress are unafraid voices that speak for the whole country and fight for justice and equality for all. 

We won’t be cowed; we won’t stay silent. As they keep attacking our efforts to save India and safeguard the people’s rights, we will keep emerging stronger. It is a battle for truth and truth always prevails. 

National Herald Case - The Truth

India's growing politics of hate took a new turn when two of BJP’s spokespersons made illicit and unacceptable remarks on Prophet Muhammad and his wife Aisha. India- the land of Gandhi and Buddha, both of whom taught the world the lesson of harmony, peace, and togetherness - is now being called out on the global platform because of the remarks made by the spokespersons of the extremist ruling party, and the whole country is being asked to apologise on their behalf.

Following the remarks, both the spokesperson - Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal - were suspended and expelled respectively from the BJP as damage control, but only after it received strong reactions from the Grand Mufti of Oman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalili, followed by a Twitter storm in Arab nations. On Sunday, the Grand Mufti in a ferocious social media post from his verified handle condemned the remarks and also called for a boycott of Indian products while several Twitter users urged the Government to take over all Indian investments and lay off its citizens.

The remarks by BJP’s spokespersons drew international condemnation on the same day, with Qatar's foreign ministry summoning Indian Ambassador Deepak Mittal and handing over an official note on what the Gulf country called "total rejection and condemnation" of the controversial remarks of a BJP leader against Prophet Muhammad. Such reactions from Arab countries are not just a threat to India’s international relations but to the economy too. As in 2021-22, India recorded a total trade of about $189 billion with seven Gulf countries—Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq—accounting for 18.3% of its combined value of imports and exports. Given the current economic challenges, India cannot afford to offend its major trade partners at this juncture. 

In reply to Qatar and Kuwait, the Indian ambassador noted that "The ambassador conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements". However, the phrase “fringe elements” is not there in the statement issued by the Indian embassy in Iraq. The Arab countries are not the only ones giving force to this storm against India, in the days following, they have been joined by Malaysia, Indonesia, Maldives, Turkey, and other Muslim countries over the world- all with huge numbers of Indians residing and working there. 

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday issued a statement condemning the act and said it summoned India’s High Commissioner on Tuesday to convey Malaysia’s total rejection of this incident. 

In Turkey, the ruling Justice and Development Party spokesperson described the statements against the Prophet as an “insult” to all Muslims of the world.

Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also accused the BJP of pushing India into a dark age of religious polarisation to "subserve its parochial political agenda in the short term".

The BJP might try to fool us by taking on-surface actions against its spokespersons and issuing statements aimed at easing the concerns of minorities, BJP’s attitude towards the minorities in the country and the fact that the BJP has shamed the country is out there for all to see. For our country to be called out on the world stage in such a manner, all because the members of the ruling party are so drowned in their arrogance and ego, is a true insult to all Indians. For someone committing such treason against the country, they must be arrested and brought before the law. This is what the Congress party demands and this is what is necessary to uphold the dignity and pride of the country as the BJP’s hate rhetoric cannot be allowed to damage the country’s global interests.

BJP Defames India

Today, our nation faces a similar turmoil as during British rule with widespread poverty, hunger, malnutrition, unemployment, and uncertainty. We are struck by soaring inflation, Rupee is at an all-time low and the country’s institutions, on which the economy thrived are being privatised. The wealth gap has widened and education is diminishing. The social welfare schemes are dead and the only thing that’s blooming is hate and divisiveness. We are not united anymore. The diversity we took pride in has become a weapon of destruction today.

Given the present circumstances prevailing in the country, it had become crucial for Congress to step in and deliberate a change. The Congress party held a 3-day Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir in Udaipur during which six groups focusing on six different issues held discussions and resolved to the ‘Udaipur Nav Sankalp Declaration’. Given below are some of the important fragments from the resolution:

**Organisation **

- Three new departments are to be formed at the National Level within the organisation

1. Public Insight Department
2. National Training Institute
3. Election Management Department

- All vacancies at every level are to be filled in the next 90 to 180 days
- 50% of Congress office-bearers to be below the age of 50
- ‘Political Affairs Committee’ to be formed at the state level
- ‘1 person - 1 post’ principle to be implemented
- District, Block, and Mandal committee meetings to be organised regularly
- On the completion of 75 years of Independence, 75 km long Padyatras are to be commenced from each district

**Political**

- Congress shall emphasize on instilling the principles of "Bharatiyata" and "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam"
- All Congressmen & women shall fight under any circumstances to protect Gandhian values ​​and the Nehruvian idea of India
- Congress will establish extensive contact and dialogue with all social, cultural, and non-governmental organizations, trade unions, think tanks and civil society groups
- Congress vehemently denounces the politics of vote-gathering by targeting minorities, the poor and the downtrodden based on religion, language, caste, colour and regionalism
- In national interest, Congress shall strongly oppose all immoral acts

**Economy** 

- Congress shall make efforts to formulate and implement the "Nav Sankalp Economic Policy"
- Employment generation will be the focus of "Nav Sankalp Economic Policy"
- The Nav Sankalp Economic Policy address the issues of extreme poverty, hunger, worrying malnutrition (especially among women and children) and the growing inequalities of income and wealth
- Comprehensive review of the financial relations between the Centre and the states is the need of the hour as also the protection & preservation of the rights of the states
- Taking into account the changes in the global economy and climate change, advanced technology etc, the Nav Sankalp Economic Policy will build an economy based on the principle of fairness, justice, and equality aiming to bring opportunity & prosperity to all sections of the society
- Congress strongly opposes indiscriminate privatization
- Congress shall prepare India's economy and workforce according to the needs of the future

**Agriculture** 

- Resolved to get rid of farm-debt by forming the "National Farmer Debt Relief Commission"
- The Central government should ensure legal guarantee for MSP
- MSP to be determined based on C2+50%.
- Entire cultivation area to be insured
- ‘Agriculture Budget’ proposed to be presented in Parliament
- Creation of the "National Farmers Welfare Fund" for financial assistance to farmers
- Tractors and other farming equipment to be GST free.
- Transfer of ₹6,000 per family per month to every farmer and farm labourer family under ‘NYAY'
- The number of Krishi Upaj Mandis to be increased from the current 7,600 to 42,000.
- 100 days of work for every person under MGNREGA must be strictly implemented
- Annual average income should be increased to ₹ 18,000 by bringing MGNREGA wages at par with minimum wages

**Social Justice and Empowerment**

- Re-introduction of the SC-ST sub-plan with legal recognition in the budget of the Central and State Governments.
- 33% of seats in Parliament, Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils to be reserved for women
- Resolved to take effective steps for the empowerment of workers' organizations
- Resolved to run a 'Leadership Mission' for the creation of new leadership from among the deprived sections in the SC-ST reserved parliamentary & assembly constituencies
- Sense of harmony to be fostered by running a special 'Sadbhavna Mission’
- Resolved to create a "Special Health Mission" for the Scheduled Tribes and also help secure lease of forest land to the Scheduled Tribes.

**Youth**

- 'Rozgar Do Padyatra' from Kashmir to Kanyakumari proposed
- Provision of free education in colleges and universities for poor students on the lines of the Right to Education Act
- The central government should make a permanent solution to bridge the gap between the children of the poor and the rich
- Special 'Recruitment Drive' to fill vacant posts in all Government Departments, Government of India Undertakings and all the three Defence services in the next six months
- 50% posts at the organizational level to youth below 50 years of age

The Congress party fought for India when it was being ruled by the oppressive British Empire. The nation’s oldest political party united the country when it was in turmoil. After Independence, it strived to ensure food, health and prosperity for every section of the society. Now, once again, Congress is ready to fight this battle to bring unity and welfare for all of us and the coming generations.

Udaipur Nav Sankalp - towards a better tomorrow

In another blow to the Indian economy, the Indian rupee fell further and touched an all-time low against the US dollar in Monday's early trade. It dropped 51 paise to an all-time low of Rs 77.42 against the US dollar.

In March the Indian currency had slipped past the previous record low of 76.98. On 6 May it  had slumped 55 paise to close at 76.90 against the US dollar.

Rupee has depreciated 1.5 per cent within the current fiscal year. A noted forex advisor has  claimed that due to a miscellany of factors—stronger USD, weaker Asian currencies, rebound in oil prices, ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, FII outflow, and a surprise hike by the RBI to tackle inflation—could be the major reasons for the rupee taking the worst plunge ever. 

This slipping of the rupee comes as a threat to the Indian economy already struggling through inflation, widespread unemployment, a power crisis, and high taxes. The RBI, in an emergency meeting last week, also increased its key interest rates—at a time when extreme inflation risks are rising and fears of a slowdown in economic growth activity persist. Depreciation of rupee results in costly imports, this has a cascading effect on local prices, which subsequently begin to hike. It can also cause a further spike in domestic fuel prices, which would in turn push up prices of other essential items and services as an outcome of increased transportation costs.

The rupee value within the domestic economy plays a critical role in keeping stable most of the main indicators, like accounting deficit (CAD), fiscal deficit, inflation, and most of all, the GDP, hence the fall results in a hit on the country’s macroeconomics. With other worrying factors in the picture, the fall in rupee can hit the already drowning economy. It would prove even more frightening for the poor and the middle-class who are always the worst affected by rising key interest rates and cuts in subsidies. 

Despite the expert advice and patterns pointing towards a dire need to take strong measures to save the economy, PM Modi and his government lay asleep and wake up only to spew lies and hate. The slipping of the rupee didn’t come unnoticed. Experts and analysts had warned the Indian government numerous times to fix their economic policies in time to avoid what we are ultimately seeing today—an all-time low for the Indian rupee.

The fall of Indian Rupee

Aam Aadmi Party came to power in Punjab by promising respect and dignity to the farmers of Punjab - claiming that no farmer in Punjab would have to give up their life once they come to power. Less than 50 days since AAP formed govt in Punjab and 14 farmers have committed suicide in just April 2022. The state government along with the central government have made the farmers of Punjab miserable with their hanging policies and inept governance. 

Many farmers' unions have criticised the AAP government in the state for not taking enough measures to ensure the safeguard and income of the farmers, and mismanaging the production yield and selling of the wheat crop. They have demanded Rs.1 crore as compensation for each family of farmers who died by suicide during the past three weeks. Along with that, the AAP government has also been asked to guarantee an end to farmer suicides and a make provision of Rs. 500 per quintal compensation for low yield as per surveys.

Farmers suicide is a catastrophic issue in the nation. Yet the central as well as the AAP government in Punjab have completely failed to address it. The previous Congress government waived off loans up to Rs 2 lakhs for thousands of farmers and landless labourers, amounting total to a sum of Rs 6000 crores. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, who had made the grand guarantee to the delegation of farmers in October 2021 as well as in the 2022 election manifesto that there would be no farmer suicides if AAP came to power, has failed to deliver, resulting in more than a dozen farmers being forced to commit suicide in a very short span of a month. 

The suicide note recovered from farmer Manjit Singh - one of the deceased - states that he was taking the extreme step due to the low yield of wheat this season. AAP, which was well informed of the state of crop yield this season, did not bother to take any actions to combat the rising input costs and provided no change in the MSP. The low crop yield and shrivelled grains because of the early onset of heatwaves are an unfortunate tragedy for the farmers of the state. The low yield of the wheat crop doubled the sufferings of many farmers in the cotton belt whose crops were affected due to pink bollworm attack. All of this required a sound policy to protect and safeguard the farmers and their income. 

Punjab - the biggest contributor to the central pool- is also facing a 15 year low in wheat procurement. Government agencies including the Food Corporation of India have only been able to buy 83.49 lakh tonnes of wheat for this rabi season as of Sunday evening. Experts fear that it might not reach the 100 lakh tonnes figure this time. It is the result of a sluggish attitude by the AAP government on one hand, while on the other hand, the Modi government has fixed Rs. 2015 per quintal MSP for wheat for this rabi season.The farmers have been left to the mercy of private players in absence of the government procurement. 

False promises and atrocities on the Annadatas of the country have become a new trend for political parties such as AAP and BJP. They claim to ease the burden on the farmers and end up putting them in a state where suicide becomes the only way out. Our farmers are the providers of our nation. They make sure that the ones sitting in their lustrous houses always have food on their plates. It is the misfortune of the country and its people that our government and institutions are failing to provide measures for their protection and welfare. It is outrageous that our ‘Annadatas’ are being betrayed and killed. From the black farmer laws to low procurement - the list of enormities on our farmers is unending.

In Focus

National Herald Case - The Truth

National Herald Case - The Truth

BJP Defames India

Udaipur Nav Sankalp - towards a better tomorrow

The fall of Indian Rupee

Betrayal of 'Annadatas' - AAP's Punjab model

The chronology of BJP's hate politics

Social media - BJP's tool for hate

Congress Defending Constitution

भारत में नफ़रत का वायरस काफी गहराई तक चला गया है।

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