During a press conference, Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the Congress party, accused the electoral bonds scheme of being the world’s biggest extortion racket and claimed it was a creation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi, who is on the final leg of his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, also alleged that funds obtained through the scheme were used to divide parties like Shiv Sena and NCP, as well as to overthrow governments.
Congress’ central election committee and party president Mallikarjun Kharge will determine whether he will contest the Lok Sabha election from Amethi, Gandhi mentioned in response to a question.
Gandhi stated, “Some years ago, the prime minister claimed to have designed the electoral bonds scheme to clean up the political finance system. It turns out this was a means to extort money from India’s largest corporates. It was intended to coerce corporates into donating to the BJP… It is the largest extortion racket globally… I hope an investigation occurs.”
In response to a query about some companies donating electoral bonds to the Congress and receiving contracts in states governed by the party, Gandhi mentioned that opposition-run state governments do not control national level contracts like highway and defense contracts, central probe agencies like Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate, or the use of ‘Pegasus’ (surveillance software) on people’s phones.
“There is no connection between the contracts awarded in Congress-run states and the donations given to us… This is illegal extortion from corporate India, and every corporate is aware of this. Months after contracts are awarded, companies donate electoral bonds to the BJP. CBI, ED file cases, and then corporations contribute money to the BJP,” he asserted.
Gandhi explained that the scheme was designed to enable corporations to donate money anonymously.
“Some companies that never donated to the BJP in the past, have started doing so after CBI and ED cases were filed against them,” Gandhi alleged.
“It is a massive theft orchestrated by the prime minister,” he asserted, adding that “the electoral bonds scheme was the PM’s brainchild.” Gandhi accused the BJP government of capturing national institutions to engage in corruption, alleging further that the funding for dividing parties like Shiv Sena and NCP, as well as toppling opposition governments, was obtained through electoral bonds.
He claimed that the ED and CBI had become institutions of the BJP and RSS, stating that one day the BJP government would be replaced, and such activities would be punished. “I guarantee that such things will never occur again,” he vowed.
Addressing the recent departures of state Congress leaders Ashok Chavan and Milind Deora, Gandhi mentioned that the party in Maharashtra remained intact despite their exit.
Gandhi asserted that Congress and its allies in Maharashtra would win Lok Sabha seats by a significant margin.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited and is published from a syndicated feed.)