Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that the electoral bonds scheme was the world's biggest extortion racket and a 'brainchild' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Gandhi's statement has come a day after the Election Commission (EC) has uploaded companies' names who had bought electoral bonds from 2019 to 2024. News reports also stated that many of the companies had received ED, Income Tax and CBI notices and they bought electoral bonds thereafter.
Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (BJNY) reached Jawhar Mokhada tribal area of Thane district in the morning and later it moved to Bhiwandi and Thane. Gandhi late in the evening addressed a press meet, wherein he made strong allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP-led Central government.
“Pressure is being imposed through ED, CBI and Income tax on the companies to amass money. Even companies have to pay party funds if they receive any contract from the Central government,” alleged Gandhi.
“It is a huge theft taking place right in front of the citizens. The entire investigation structure is imposed in the corruption and the entire idea is by the Prime Minister of India. The CBI, ED and Income tax are not investigation agencies; these are helping BJP to collect the money.”
Rahul while targeting the Central government, said, “The funds amassed through the scheme were used to split political parties and topple opposition governments. They broke the Shiv Sena, NCP but couldn't break the Congress. We will win the elections in Maharashtra with a record margin,” said Rahul.
“Some years ago, the prime minister claimed to have designed the electoral bonds to clean up the political finance system. It turns out that this was the way of extorting money from India's largest corporates. It was meant to intimidate corporates into giving money to the BJP… It is the largest extortion racket in the world… I hope an investigation takes place,” he said.
Many shell companies have participated to buy electoral bonds, Gandhi added. He made it clear that there is no role of Nitin Gadkari in this scam but PM Modi has.
To a question about some companies donating electoral bonds to the Congress and getting contracts in the states run by the party's governments, Gandhi said none of the governments run by opposition parties controlled contracts at the national level such as highway and defence contracts, nor did they control Central probe agencies like the Income Tax and ED.
