Tote-ally political: Bansuri Swaraj's 'National Herald ki Loot' bag targets Gandhis
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj turned heads at the Parliament Annexe building on Monday when she walked in for a Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on 'One Nation, One Election' carrying a tote bag with the words "National Herald Ki Loot" emblazoned on it. The bag, an unmistakable jibe at the Gandhi family, is the latest in a series of handbag statements in Parliament - this time from the BJP in response to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's recent outings with politically loaded tote bags.advertisementSpeaking to reporters, Swaraj said, "This is the first time that corruption has taken place in the fourth pillar of democracy-media. The charge sheet filed by the ED highlights the old working style and ideology of the Congress party. In the guise of service, they make public institutions a tool to increase their personal property."Her remarks come as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently filed a chargesheet against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in connection with the National Herald case.
The case, which formally began in 2021, stems from a complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy in 2014. It alleges that the Gandhis and other Congress leaders orchestrated a fraudulent takeover of Associated Journals Ltd. (AJL) - the publisher of the National Herald newspaper - through the company Young Indian Ltd. (YIL), for a nominal sum of Rs 50 lakh. The properties involved in the case are estimated to be worth over Rs 2,000 crore.advertisementSwaraj's bag stunt appears to be a direct counter to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's recent bag messaging. In December, Vadra drew attention by carrying a tote with the word "Palestine" on it, prompting criticism from BJP leaders who accused her of communal posturing. Unfazed by the backlash, Vadra defended her choice, calling the attacks patriarchal and asserting her right to wear what she wants."The Gandhi family has always been carrying the bag of appeasement. The appeasement bag is the reason behind their rout in elections," BJP leader Sambit Patra had said.A day later, she upped the ante by appearing with a bag that read "Stand with Bangladeshi Hindus and Christians", in response to the BJP's criticism that she had ignored atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh. Earlier this year, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi had gifted Vadra a bag that read "1984" - a pointed reference to the anti-Sikh riots that followed the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.Must Watch
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