Subramanian Swamy, the head of the Janata Party has said filed a petition with the Election Commission of India seeking de-recognition of the Congress party for illicitly funding a media establishment.

He accused the party of providing loans without interest to The Associated Journals Limited, which is the publisher of National Herald and other newspapers in the country. The Congress party had recently admitted that it has given a loan to the publishing company. The Congress party said that it has done its duty by supporting the publisher by providing the loan and not seeking any commercial profit from the transaction.

"Based on Congi confession of the loan crime yesterday I am filing a Petition today before ECI seeking De-recognition of Congi party," wrote Swamy on the micro blogging site, Twitter.

Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said in a statement issued in New Delhi that the Indian National Congress has helped the company through the loan to enable the newspapers to come back to health in compliance with the laws of the country. The party pointed out that National Herald was founded by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937, and played a role in the freedom struggle.