New Delhi. In the case of Associated Journals Limited AJL and Young Indian Limited YIL, the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday issued an order to seize assets worth Rs 751 crore, giving a huge blow to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. According to sources, now ED is once again preparing to interrogate Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in this case. ED has already interrogated Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi several times. Not being satisfied with the reply, he took action to confiscate the property. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are also on bail in this case. On the other hand, Congress leader and senior Supreme Court lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi has termed the ED’s seizure of AJL’s property as a step taken due to political malice. Singhvi has alleged that the ED has seized the property at the behest of the ruling BJP government at the Centre.
The properties of AJL which have been seized by ED include properties in prime locations of Delhi, Mumbai, Panchkula and Lucknow. From these properties, till 2008, AJL published National Herald, Navjeevan and Qaumi Awaaz, known as the mouthpiece of Congress. After this the newspaper was closed. ED alleges that only after this the Gandhi family played games. A loan of Rs 90 crore was given to AJL by Congress. Then when the loan was not returned, it was given to YIL for just Rs 50 lakh. In return, AJL gave 9 crore shares to the Gandhi family. ED has called this money laundering. According to ED, despite not having Rs 50 lakh with it, YIL, owned by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, took over the properties of AJL. The market value of these properties is currently said to be more than Rs 2000 crore. Many properties have also been given on rent.
Rahul and Sonia hold 76 percent shares of YIL which is accused of grabbing the assets of AJL. The remaining 24 percent shares were in the names of Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes. Vora and Fernandes have passed away. This means that now the entire ownership of YIL is with both the members of the Gandhi family. Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is the CEO of this company. Congress says that YIL is a no-profit organization. Even after taking AJL, she cannot spend a single penny of it. AJL was first founded by PM Jawaharlal Nehru with 5000 Congress members. All these Congressmen were made shareholders of AJL. The complaint about alleged irregularities in AJL was made by former BJP Rajya Sabha MP and senior leader Subramanian Swamy. Since then ED is investigating it. ED had also raided AJL’s properties in Delhi and Mumbai.