Congress demands SC-monitored probe into funds BJP recieved through electoral bonds, demands freezing of its accounts

The grand old party said that the bank accounts of the BJP should be frozen until a probe into the received funds was completed.

Kharge demanded that the prime minister be held accountable for allegedly misusing the government machinery to pressure private companies to fund the BJP through electoral bonds.

Meanwhile, AICC treasurer and Rajya Sabha member Ajay Maken sought the reason behind not disclosing details of the remaining 3,346 electoral bonds worth ₹2,500 crore before the Supreme Court.

Also Read: Full list of donor firms and how much they donated to political parties

Kharge demands high-level enquiry

Kharge asserted that their party will demand a high-level probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court against the funds received through electoral bonds by the ruling BJP.

Kharge told reporters: “The prime minister used to be on the lines of Harishchandra. He had said ‘Na kaunga, Na kane dunga’ (neither will eat nor allow to eat).  But today it has been exposed by the Supreme Court that how the BJP has made money out of these electoral bonds.”

.@INCIndia chief @kharge told reporers: “The Congress demands a high-level enquiry into the funds via #ElectoralBonds received by the @BJP4India by the Supreme Court.”

“Secondly, the #Congress urges to freeze #BJP‘s accounts immediately. When the SC terms electoral bonds illegal… pic.twitter.com/2UqSkKpMeN

— South First (@TheSouthfirst) March 15, 2024

“The SBI data shows that donations the BJP received were around 50 percent while the Congress got only 11 percent. Considering the voting pattern, we got nearly one-third of the votes and the rest of the people, including the BJP, got the remaining two-thirds.”

“But, in the donation they got is more than 50 percent. How can they get this much money? How can they allow capitalists or other companies to give such donations? So, there are many dubious donors,” alleged Kharge.

“Who are these (the donors)? Nearly, all the people who have donated are involved in ED (Enforcement Directorate) or I-T (Income Tax Department) cases. They (ED and I-T) raided their houses.  Then ultimately the government of India, particularly Modi and his party pressured these people to give more donations to their party. Otherwise, this much of funds cannot be,” alleged Kharge.

Also Read: What is the point of knowing the electoral bonds data?

‘BJP account must be frozen’

As the Supreme Court termed the electoral bonds unconstitutional, Kharge appealed for the immediate seizure of the BJP’s account until the investigation was taken to the logical end.

Kharge said: “We had money in the Congress party accounts. But money was frozen and seized. They instructed I-T people and they have done this.”

“Nearly ₹300 crore was frozen. How can we go to the election? You are collecting crores of rupees through electoral bonds. Similarly, Congress got funds through party workers, leaders, MPs and small donors.”

“Our account is closed. But their account is not. They received ₹6,000 crore, whereas others got little sum. If you freeze the Opposition parties’ accounts, how will they fight the elections? Where is the level playing ground?” asked Kharge.

Stressing for an inquiry at the highest level, Kharge said: “Unless the truth comes out, their accounts should also be frozen. A special investigation should be done to ascertain whether they received bonds through doing favours or some harassment or asking them for a donation assuring that their cases would be shut.”

“Many people, against whom ED and I-T raids happened, have gone to the BJP and got good posts. They immediately became clean after joining the BJP. As long as they are in other parties, they are not clean, with allegations against them.”

“The SC exposed, particularly the BJP, which always claimed they got everything legally. Therefore, we demand a special enquiry on that. Their accounts must be closed till the investigation is done,” said the AICC president.

Also Read: Full list of donor firms and how much they donated to political parties

‘PM should be held accountable’

Kharge demanded that the Prime Minister must be held accountable for this.

Kharge told reporters: “The PM should be held accountable. He is the main man. The PM himself always claims that ‘Modi ki Sarkar, Ye Modi ka Party, Modi ka Guarantee’. He never even said the BJP.”

“He claims that he has a 56-inch chest and so does the party. He claims credit for every development that happened in the country since 1947. He speaks like the country got its independence in 2014 and the people were born after that,” said Kharge

“The claims of Modi that he is developing the country, which is a democratic country with a federal system, is destroying it. We are worried that the pressure from him and the party is making the people donate funds to the BJP,” he added.

“If there is a level playing ground, they will donate as they like. If you put cases on them and harass them, it would be a great inequality. It is a type of harassment. Therefore, I demand these two things.”

“Apart from that he is harassing us (sic). He wants to kill the Opposition parties so that they should not thrive in democracy,” charged Kharge.

When asked whether the Congress will approach the Supreme Court seeking blockage of the BJP’s accounts, Kharge said: “No. Now, I am demanding. The party’s working committee will meet shortly. There we can discuss. I am not a Modi to say party’s stand without consultation, I have to consult.”

Also Read: Kapil Sibal demands SIT to investigate electoral bonds ‘quid pro quo’

AICC Treasurer raises questions

Highlighting that the SBI is yet to release the details of 3,346 bonds, Maken sought the reason behind not disclosing details of the said electoral bonds worth around ₹2,500 crore.

The Rajya Sabha member told reporters: “When the list was released the SBI said that 22,217 electoral bonds were issued since the scheme was initiated in 2018. But the details on the website pertain to only 18,871 bonds.”

“The details of 3,346 bonds are not available on the website. The SBI has not revealed it. The total amount of the unrevealed electoral bonds is around ₹2,500 crore. Whom are Modi and the SBI trying to shield?” asked Maken.

He continued: “Secondly, there should be an investigation on the matter, directly under the apex court since it has initiated it. What should be the investigation? It must be the link between the I-T and ED notices, and their raids with these electrical bond purchases.”

“Because when these companies’ names have come out. Most of these companies are under either IT scanner, served notices and ED raided them. They were forced to purchase the electoral bonds and give them to the BJP,” alleged Maken.

He added: “Third is that more than 50 percent of the amount has gone to the BJP, whereas the principal Opposition — the Congress party — is only 11 percent. It is a 39 percent difference.”

“If you look at the vote share difference between the two national parties in the last election it was merely 17 percent. The difference in funds received through electoral bonds is more than twice the difference between their vote share.”

“This clearly proves that the I-T and the ED were used to get more electoral bonds for the ruling BJP party. We demand that the investigation must be done under the supervision of the Supreme Court, and the BJP’s account immediately frozen,” demanded Maken.

“At the same time, whatever money the Congress had in Delhi, the entire amount of around ₹300 crore has been frozen by I-T. This action was taken on the backdrop of the 2017-18 case.”

“Our accounts have been frozen citing a seven-year-old case, just weeks before the general elections. This move is against ensuring a level playing field for the ruling or the opposition party.”

“The ruling party is getting ill-gotten wealth, unconstitutional money, in an obscure manner from the big corporate houses, forced by the I-T and the ED. On the other hand, the Congress which got money from party workers, NSUI and leaders has been frozen. This is not the level playing field,” said Maken.

(Edited by Muhammed Fazil)