Rahul Gandhi calls electoral bonds biggest extortion racket
16 March 2024 1:54 AM GMT
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference during the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra’, in Maharashtra (PTI)
Mumbai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that electoral bonds was the biggest extortion racket in the world and investigative agencies were used as means to extort money. It is a serious crime that amounts to treason, he said.
Speaking in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra during the last leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the former Congress president lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP over the electoral bonds scheme.
“Electoral bonds was the biggest extortion racket in world… Funds for splitting political parties and toppling opposition governments came from electoral bonds,” Gandhi said.
A few years ago, PM Modi spoke about the political finance system and electoral bonds were introduced. But the concept has turned out to be the biggest extortion racket in the world as it was used to extort money from India's largest corporates. It was meant to intimidate corporates into giving money to the BJP, the Wayanad MP said.
Speaking on electoral bonds and the contracts given by Congress or other opposition party-governed states, Gandhi claimed there was no correlation between the electoral bonds and the contracts given by Congress or other opposition parties' governments in states
"The question here is that months after a contract was given, the corporate was giving electoral bonds to the BJP," he said.
Gandhi's remarks have come a day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) made public the electoral bond data shared to it by the State Bank of India (SBI) on its website.
According to the data released by the Election Commission of India on its website on Thursday, the BJP has received Rs 6,060 crore over five years through the electoral bonds scheme, whereas Congress received 1,422 crore.
Earlier, saying that nearly 88 per cent of the country's population is deprived of its rights, Gandhi appealed people to fight for their privileges.
“When people will start raising questions about their rights and start fighting for their participation (in power), there will be uproar in the country,” said Gandhi at Wada in Thane district.
Emphasising on the need of a caste census, the former Congress president said, “OBCs, Dalits, tribals and backward communities constitute 88 per cent of the country’s population but their representation in different sectors, including administration, media and judiciary remains very low. In order to bring justice to them, it is necessary to conduct a nationwide caste. If the Congress was voted to power at the Centre, it will conduct such an exercise.”
The Wayanad Congress MP accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing little for the OBC population. “Narendra Modi calls himself OBC, but the important question is, what did he do for the OBC community?
Gandhi claimed that only six per cent of the population is controlling power and the country’s wealth. “Funds of the country are being allotted to powerful organizations by collecting taxes from common citizens. While acquiring lands for various projects, the land of the poor sections of society is taken, but not of rich industrialists. Pradhan Mantri Pik Bima Yojana is not benefiting the farmers but the companies are benefiting,” he said.
The Wayanad Congress MP questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his contribution to the welfare of OBCs. “Narendra Modi calls himself OBC, but the important question is what he did for the OBC community?” he asked.
Speaking in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra during the last leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the former Congress president lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP over the electoral bonds scheme.
“Electoral bonds was the biggest extortion racket in world… Funds for splitting political parties and toppling opposition governments came from electoral bonds,” Gandhi said.
A few years ago, PM Modi spoke about the political finance system and electoral bonds were introduced. But the concept has turned out to be the biggest extortion racket in the world as it was used to extort money from India's largest corporates. It was meant to intimidate corporates into giving money to the BJP, the Wayanad MP said.
Speaking on electoral bonds and the contracts given by Congress or other opposition party-governed states, Gandhi claimed there was no correlation between the electoral bonds and the contracts given by Congress or other opposition parties' governments in states
"The question here is that months after a contract was given, the corporate was giving electoral bonds to the BJP," he said.
Gandhi's remarks have come a day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) made public the electoral bond data shared to it by the State Bank of India (SBI) on its website.
According to the data released by the Election Commission of India on its website on Thursday, the BJP has received Rs 6,060 crore over five years through the electoral bonds scheme, whereas Congress received 1,422 crore.
Earlier, saying that nearly 88 per cent of the country's population is deprived of its rights, Gandhi appealed people to fight for their privileges.
“When people will start raising questions about their rights and start fighting for their participation (in power), there will be uproar in the country,” said Gandhi at Wada in Thane district.
Emphasising on the need of a caste census, the former Congress president said, “OBCs, Dalits, tribals and backward communities constitute 88 per cent of the country’s population but their representation in different sectors, including administration, media and judiciary remains very low. In order to bring justice to them, it is necessary to conduct a nationwide caste. If the Congress was voted to power at the Centre, it will conduct such an exercise.”
The Wayanad Congress MP accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing little for the OBC population. “Narendra Modi calls himself OBC, but the important question is, what did he do for the OBC community?
Gandhi claimed that only six per cent of the population is controlling power and the country’s wealth. “Funds of the country are being allotted to powerful organizations by collecting taxes from common citizens. While acquiring lands for various projects, the land of the poor sections of society is taken, but not of rich industrialists. Pradhan Mantri Pik Bima Yojana is not benefiting the farmers but the companies are benefiting,” he said.
The Wayanad Congress MP questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his contribution to the welfare of OBCs. “Narendra Modi calls himself OBC, but the important question is what he did for the OBC community?” he asked.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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