New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) The BJP on Friday alleged that the Congress governments in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh are funding the "lifestyle" of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by arbitrarily providing funds to their "private newspaper" National Herald from the public exchequer.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari shared details of the funds being provided by the Karnataka and the Himachal Pradesh government to the newspaper "in the name of advertisements" and asked Rahul Gandhi if this is his "'khatakhat (swift)' model of looting public money".

"The Gandhi-Vadra family has become synonymous with corruption," Bhandari charged.

There was no immediate reaction from the Congress to the BJP's charges.

The ruling party's attack came after Rahul Gandhi dubbed the BJP as "Bhrasht Janata Party" and claimed that its double-engine governments in various states have ruined the lives of the people through corruption, abuse of power and the poison of arrogance.

The Congress leader cited the murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand, the Unnao rape case in Uttar Pradesh and deaths from drinking contaminated water in Indore among others to attack the BJP.

Hitting back, the BJP spokesperson said both Rahul and Sonia Gandhi are accused in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"They are currently out on bail. The ED is conducting a money laundering probe into the Associated Journal Limited (AJL), which is the parent company of the National Herald, known as the personal newspaper of the Gandhi-Vadra family's Congress," he said.

Bhatia claimed that the National Herald, which was closed in 2008, has "zero circulation" today, yet the Congress governments in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh are providing funds to the newspaper in the name of advertisements.

"In 2023-24, the Congress government in Karnataka gave Rs 1.90 crore to the newspaper, which is closed. In 2024-25, the Congress government, which does not have funds to fill the potholes on the roads and fund various schemes in the state, gave about 69 per cent of the Rs 1.42-crore advertisement budget to the newspaper, which has zero circulation," he said.

Bhandari claimed that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, which has been reeling under a debt of Rs 1 lakh crore and does not have money to even pay salaries to its employees, also gave Rs 97 lakh to the National Herald.

"This is the Rahul Gandhi model. Loot the taxpayers' money and fund the lifestyle of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by routing public funds through their private newspaper," he charged.

"What kind of advertisement policy are the Congress governments following to fund the newspaper, which is closed and has zero circulation? Is it not a route to commit corruption? Is it not a conflict of interest?" Bhandari asked, demanding answers from the Congress and its leadership. PTI PK PK KSS KSS

Congress governments funding National Herald's operations amid money laundering probe and conflict of interest allegations. Allegations assert that Congress ruled Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh directed public advertisement funds to the National Herald, a publication tied to senior Congress figures and reported to have zero circulation, raising questions about justification for the payments, potential misuse of public funds and a conflict of interest while the leaders remain subject to a money laundering probe.