Congress announces revival of National Herald, Navjivan

New Delhi: Congress on Wednesday announced that National Herald (English) and Navjivan (Hindi), newspapers which ceased publication in 2008, would resume, and has named Neelabh Mishra as Editor-in-Chief.

According to the Congress, both the newspapers will resume publication in the coming months and it will be followed by resumption of Urdu newspaper Quami Awaz.

Mishra was earlier an editor with Outlook Hindi. 

"The Associated Journals Limited, a company founded in 1937 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, has taken steps to resume publication of its English and Hindi newspapers National Herald and Navjivan," read a statement released by Congress Treasurer Motilal Vora. 

"The company has appointed senior journalist Neelabh Mishra as its Editor-in-Chief for its Hindi and English newspapers and digital properties with immediate effect. Mishra is a leading editor, having previously served as Editor of Outlook Hindi," it added.

The statement further said that Mishra will build and lead the team for both National Herald and Navjivan and their digital and related assets.

The tagline of the forthcoming publications is "Freedom is in peril, defend it with all your might".

"The publications shall seek to give voice to the vision of Pandit Nehru and shall seek to occupy a liberal, progressive, secular space. They shall strive to represent the under-represented and all those deprived of voice, thereby promoting the ideals of a plural, democratic society," read the statement. 

The revival comes as a court on last Saturday issued notice to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case on a plea filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy.

Swamy has sought the balance sheet of 2010-2011 of the Congress party and other documents relating to the company, Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) in the case.