National News
Patel’s alarm, Nehru’s ‘dismissal’: The origins of the National Herald storm

New Delhi, April 17: A series of letters exchanged between Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru in May 1950, as documented in the book Sardar Patel’s Correspondence, suggest that Patel expressed concerns to Nehru regarding the use of the ‘National Herald’ for fundraising purposes. These letters indicate that Patel cautioned Nehru about “the potential misuse of government influence in financial dealings” and advised against accepting contributions from “questionable” sources.
The old correspondence between Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru has resurfaced at the heart of political debate, following the Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet against former Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The charges, tied to alleged money laundering in the National Herald case, have brought renewed attention to Patel’s early warnings about financial misconduct linked to the publication—warnings that now seem strikingly relevant.
In fact, The National Herald has been entangled in controversy since the early days of independent India. Letters exchanged between Sardar Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru in 1950 are frequently referenced to point out that questions around the paper’s financial conduct and political misuse were being raised even then.
In 1950, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel explicitly warned Jawaharlal Nehru about dubious fundraising tactics and the ‘misuse’ of government machinery to prop up the National Herald. These serious concerns revealed Patel’s clear discomfort with the ethical and political implications of such actions. Despite the gravity of the warnings, Nehru apparently chose to brush them aside.
Are Sardar Patel’s decades-old warnings proving to be prophetic? The question is echoing across political debates following the Enforcement Directorate’s chargesheet against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of orchestrating a “criminal conspiracy” to usurp properties worth Rs 2,000 crore belonging to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald. What began as a stern caution from one of India’s foremost statesmen in 1950 has, according to political analysts referencing Patel’s letters, now spiralled into an allegedly full-blown scandal that “underscores a legacy of alleged misuse of power and political entitlement”.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel raised the red flag in a series of pointed letters to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. On May 5, 1950, Patel wrote to Nehru expressing grave concern over a Rs 75,000 donation to the National Herald from two individuals associated with Himalayan Airways. The airline had reportedly obtained a government contract for night air mail services by circumventing objections from the Indian Air Force. Observers say that it was an early sign of “political favouritism and backroom dealings”.
Patel didn’t mince words. He highlighted that one of the donors, Akhani, was already facing multiple charges of bank fraud. Even more damning was Patel’s accusation that Union Minister Ahmed Kidwai was abusing his official position to collect funds for the Herald, including money from controversial businessmen in Lucknow such as J.P. Srivastava.
Nehru’s reply, sent the same day, was “vague and dismissive”– attempting to pacify Patel without allegedly addressing the core concerns. He mentioned having asked his son-in-law, Feroze Gandhi, then General Manager of the Herald, to look into the matter. According to an analyst, Nehru’s tone as reflected in the letter was non-committal, brushing the issue aside as though it were an unfortunate misunderstanding.
Patel, undeterred, responded the very next day, May 6, 1950. He saw through the deflection as he wrote to Nehru in detail, explaining how certain private companies and their shareholders were involved in the process. Sardar Patel noted, “Some contributions did not come from those involved in running the department. Otherwise, to my knowledge, the number of contributions received was sufficient and involved other individuals as well. The transactions I have referred to are of a different nature. There is no element of charity in them.”
In his follow-up, Nehru again “tried to distance himself from the paper and its finances”, claiming he hadn’t been involved with the National Herald or its fundraising for three years and had passed the responsibility to a woman named Mridula. He admitted “some mistakes may have occurred” but continued to what was seen by many as his attempt to “justify” the questionable transactions as part of a legitimate business proposition, even calling it a matter of “loss and profit” — not charity.
This point was highlighted by BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi who stated that on May 6, 1950, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote a letter to Sardar Patel saying, “Herald is a good business proposition and its preference shares and debentures are not a bad investment.”
It was said during Nehru’s time that the investment made in the National Herald could be profitable. This is a good business investment, so its shares or debentures cannot be considered harmful, said Trivedi referring to correspondence.
The direct implication is that from the very beginning, this investment was linked to profit, business, and property, he added. “Today, the Congress party should be asked this ethical question: when this was always a business plan, how can it suddenly be linked to charity or donations given during the freedom struggle?” he said.
This was the breaking point for Patel.
In his final letter dated May 10, 1950, he made it clear that the issue was about integrity, accountability, and the misuse of political power. As Home Minister, he expressed deep concern over the ‘dishonesty’ surrounding the Herald’s funding and the dubious individuals involved.
He rejected Nehru’s defence outright, calling out the rot at the core of what was being portrayed as a freedom movement legacy.
Sardar Patel wrote, “In light of these events, I do not think there is any benefit in pursuing this matter further. I have already told you how I view these activities, and I doubt that if this happened in any other province and I had any connection to it, I would not accept this situation.”
According to Trivedi, this clearly means that he had become disillusioned and did not want to talk about it again. “Now, Congress should explain what kind of sacrifice and dedication this was,” Trivedi asked.
According to political observers, Patel’s firm stance exposed a deeper malaise — a troubling pattern of entitlement, favouritism, and ethical compromise that would resurface decades later. His warnings, largely ignored at the time, now seem eerily prophetic.
National News
CM Nitish highlights 20-year progress of Bihar at Gopalganj rally; slams Lalu and family

Patna, Oct 22: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on former Union minister and ex-CM Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family while showcasing his government’s two-decade-long record of development during an election rally in Gopalganj — the home district of the RJD supremo.
Addressing a large gathering, Nitish Kumar said that before 2005, Bihar was gripped by fear and lawlessness, but over the last 20 years, the state has witnessed unprecedented progress under his leadership.
“Before 2005, people were afraid to step out of their homes after sunset. But today, Bihar is safe, developed, and moving forward. The state has changed completely,” the Chief Minister said.
Listing the key achievements of his government, Nitish Kumar highlighted that over five lakh teachers have been appointed to strengthen the education sector.
He said that in the health sector, several new medical colleges have been established to improve access to healthcare across the state.
The Chief Minister also mentioned major welfare initiatives, including free electricity up to 125 units for households, increased old-age pensions, and various schemes to empower women through employment.
“Bihar today has the highest number of women in the police force compared to any other state in the country. We have ensured women’s participation in every field,” he added.
Nitish Kumar emphasised that his government works for all communities without discrimination, citing efforts to build boundary walls for temples as well as fencing for Muslim cemeteries.
“Earlier, politics was based on the Hindu-Muslim division. We have ended that. Our work is for everyone — irrespective of caste or religion,” he said.
During his speech, Nitish also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, acknowledging his support for Bihar’s ongoing development projects.
“Prime Minister Modi has done significant work for Bihar’s development. Together, we are ensuring the state’s growth continues,” the Chief Minister remarked.
Earlier on Tuesday, Nitish Kumar addressed rallies in Muzaffarpur, where he also detailed the NDA government’s achievements in education, infrastructure, and welfare ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
National News
Aadhaar Data Mismatch May Push Over 10 Lakh Maharashtra Students Out Of School Records

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s school system is facing a major crisis as over 10 lakh students risk being marked “out of school” due to Aadhaar validation errors on the national UDISE Plus portal. According to official data, out of 2,14,68,288 registered students, only 2,09,69,529 have submitted their Aadhaar details.
Among these, 2,03,21,408 students’ Aadhaar numbers have been verified, while 5,78,433 have been found invalid. In addition, 4,98,759 students have not submitted Aadhaar numbers at all, placing their enrolment in jeopardy. Another 69,688 records are still under verification.
Altogether, around 10,77,000 students could be classified as “out of school” in government records, even though they continue to attend classes regularly. The School Education Department has mandated that every student’s details must be linked with Aadhaar on the UDISE Plus database, which also affects staffing decisions and resource allocation for schools.
Teachers’ associations and education experts have raised alarm over this issue, warning that the classification contradicts the Right to Education (RTE) Act. They argue that technical data errors should not determine whether a child is considered enrolled or not. Many fear that such discrepancies could lead to reduced staff, loss of grants, and even closure of schools in some regions, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
Education officials have acknowledged the problem and are working to resolve data mismatches. They have urged schools to revalidate and update student details at the earliest to prevent disruptions in records.
The situation highlights the growing dependence on digital databases like UDISE Plus and Aadhaar for education administration, and the serious real-world consequences when these systems fail to align.
National News
ECI begins two-day conference of CEOs to review nationwide SIR preparedness

New Delhi, Oct 22: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday began its two-day Conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) at the India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM), New Delhi, to review nationwide preparedness for the upcoming Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of electoral rolls.
The conference, presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, was attended by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
The primary focus of the session was to assess the readiness of all State and Union Territory CEO offices for the crucial SIR exercise that ensures accuracy and inclusiveness in India’s voter lists.
This conference follows up on a similar preparedness review held on September 10, 2025, where all States and UTs presented detailed data on electors, qualifying dates, and the current status of electoral rolls as per the last completed revision.
“The Conference is being held as a follow-up on the SIR preparedness conference held on September 10, 2025, during which all the States/UTs gave detailed presentations on the number of Electors, qualifying date of last SIR and Electoral Roll in their respective State/UT as per the last completed SIR,” the ECI said in its press note.
The Commission took note of the progress made since then and sought updates on the implementation of its earlier directions.
A key agenda of the meeting was to evaluate the progress in mapping current electors with those recorded during the last SIR, helping identify new voters, deletions, and corrections.
“The Commission assessed the progress made on the directions previously issued to the CEOs to map the current electors with the electors as per the last SIR in the State/UT,” it said.
The ECI also reviewed the status of appointment and training of field-level officials, including District Election Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant EROs (AEROs), Booth Level Officers (BLOs), and Booth Level Agents (BLAs).
The conference aims to standardise processes, strengthen coordination across states, and ensure that every eligible citizen is duly enrolled ahead of the next election cycle.
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