The Congress on Monday attacked the Modi government over the electoral bonds “scam”, accusing the ruling BJP of indulging in “hafta vasooli” (extortion) by using central probe agencies like ED, CBI, and IT.
Electoral Bonds: Congress on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the electoral bonds issue, dubbing the now-scrapped political funding scheme as Central government’s “Pradhan Mantri Hafta Vasuli Yojana (Prime Minister’s Extortion Scheme)”.
The Congress alleged that the Modi government was openly indulging in “hafta vasuli” (extortion) by threatening companies using central probe agencies. The opposition party claimed that as many as 21 firms which faced investigations from the CBI, ED, or IT, have donated money to the BJP through electoral bonds.
“Today, we zoom in on the ‘Pradhan Mantri Hafta Vasuli Yojana’, the second of the four channels of corruption in the Electoral Bond Scam: 1.Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo 2.Hafta Vasuli,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
Electoral Bonds ‘scam’
Ramesh said that with each passing day, more examples emerge about the true depths of the “electoral bond scam”.
“On November 10, 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested P Sarath Chandra Reddy, the director of Aurobindo Pharma, in connection with its money laundering case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the Delhi government’s liquor policy and five days later, on November 15, Aurobindo Pharma donated electoral bonds worth Rs 5 crore,” he claimed.
The Congress leader added, “Navayuga Engineering Company Limited bought electoral bonds worth Rs 30 crore in April 2019, six months after it was raided by the Income Tax Department in October 2018.”
In the early hours of December 7, 2023, three units of Rungta Sons Pvt. Ltd. in Ramgarh were raided by the Income Tax Department and on January 11, 2024, the company purchased 50 electoral bonds worth Rs 1 crore each. Before this, the firm only donated in April 2021, Ramesh alleged further.
“Hyderabad-based Shirdi Sai Electricals Limited faced income tax raids on December 20 2023. On January 11, 2024, the company purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 40 crore,” the Congress leader claimed.
“In November 2023, Income Tax officials raided an employee of Reddy’s Labs, for alleged cash transactions. Just after the raids, the company purchased electoral bonds worth Rs 31 crore, followed by Rs 21 crore in November 2023, and Rs 10 crore in January 2024, adding up to Rs 84 crore,” he alleged.
“These are just key examples: a total of 21 firms who have faced investigations from the CBI, ED, or IT, have donated electoral bonds after the fact,” Ramesh said.
‘Theka Lo, Rishvat Do’
The Congress leader that the government indulged in ‘Theka Lo, Rishvat Do’ (get business, at a bribe) and through ‘Farzi Company’ (shell companies).
“Remember, the IT Department and the ED implement the Pradhan Mantri Hafta Vasuli Yojana. The State Bank of India implements the #ElectoralBondScam. And at the end of the day, all of these institutions report to the same person: the Finance Minister,” Ramesh alleged.
Quid pro quo
On Sunday, the Congress accused the ruling BJP of engaging in “quid pro quo” for receiving electoral bonds and “conspiring” to route black money into the saffron party’s accounts through the scheme.
Ramesh had said Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were answerable on the electoral bond “scam”.
Following a Supreme Court directive, the State Bank of India (SBI), which was the authorised seller of electoral bonds, shared the data with the poll panel on March 12.
The SBI said a total of 22,217 electoral bonds of varying denominations were purchased by donors between April 1, 2019, and February 15 this year, out of which 22,030 were redeemed by political parties.
(With PTI inputs)
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