Clarification from Himachal CM's Aide on National Herald Ads

Synopsis

Naresh Chauhan, Principal Media Advisor to Himachal CM, refutes BJP's Jai Ram Thakur's claims about Rs 2.34 crore in ads to National Herald. He states that the allegations are baseless and highlights BJP's own spending on affiliated publications.

Key Takeaways

Naresh Chauhan rebuts BJP claims on advertisements.
National Herald received Rs 2.34 crore in ads.
The BJP spent significantly on its own publications.
Chauhan condemns BJP's misleading tactics.
Ongoing publications of National Herald in multiple languages.

Shimla, April 19 (NationPress) Naresh Chauhan, the Principal Media Advisor to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, addressed the claims made by BJP legislator and Leader of Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, regarding the allocation of Rs 2.34 crore in government advertisements to the National Herald newspaper. He labeled these allegations as unfounded and misleading, asserting that the BJP leaders are attempting to distort public perception for their own agenda and are intent on tarnishing the Chief Minister's reputation, which will be firmly opposed. Over the past two and a half years, the National Herald received Rs 2.34 crore in advertisements, whereas during the BJP's tenure under Thakur, they disbursed crores to their own affiliated publications.

He provided examples, noting that publications like ‘Organiser’, ‘Panchjanaya’, and ‘Matrivandana’, which are known as the BJP's mouthpieces, received over Rs 2 crore in advertising. Additionally, publications such as ‘Deep Kamal Sandesh’, ‘Chhatra Udghosh’ from the ABVP, and the RSS publication ‘Tarun Bharat’, which is published from Nagpur, received more than Rs 74 lakh in ads during the BJP government, which most people are unfamiliar with. In total, the Thakur Government issued over Rs 2.93 crore in advertisements to BJP-affiliated papers and magazines.

“I am surprised by the BJP's assertion that the National Herald weekly is no longer in circulation,” Chauhan stated to the press.

The National Herald weekly continues to be published regularly from Delhi in English, along with the Hindi edition 'Sunday Navjeevan'. Furthermore, the Mumbai edition is also consistently released.

Chauhan criticized the BJP, which leads a coalition government at the national level, for targeting individuals linked to the Congress and other opposition parties by exploiting central investigative agencies, motivated by their dwindling popularity.