The BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, meanwhile, said Modi was not at the helm when a private complaint was filed in the matter against the Congress leaders. “The matter dates back to 2008,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

Prasad, citing the allegations in the case, said that Associated Journals Ltd, the publisher of National Herald, had a loan of about Rs 90 crore which “had been given by the Congress party”.

“Later, the shares of this company were purchased for only Rs 50 lakh through a new company, Young India Ltd. After the Rs 90 crore loan was waived, all the shares of Associated Journals went to this new company, in which Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had a 76 percent share,” he alleged.

Prasad said this was “a clear case of loot”.

Congress spokesperson and senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in a post on X that the FIR was “neither wine new nor bottle new nor glasses new”.

“One trick wonder of a case where no money moved, where no immovable property transferred yet money laundering invented upon creation of Young Indian as a not for profit co to merely hold shares of AJL which in turn runs and holds brand NH and continues to hold all property as before & as always. Condition precedent of ML (money laundering) movement of money and conversion of unaccounted to white money always absent, yet we have politically malicious proceedings continuing,” he said on X.

Congress leader Ramesh said: “The Modi-Shah duo is continuing with its mischievous politics of harassment, intimidation, and vendetta against the top leadership of the INC. Those who threaten are themselves insecure and afraid. The National Herald matter is a completely bogus case. Justice will ultimately triumph. Satyameva Jayate.”