The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The Indian National Congress has intensified its campaign against the electoral bonds mechanism, demanding a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the supervision of the Supreme Court. During a press briefing, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the scheme of facilitating a range of corrupt practices, including what he described as prepaid and postpaid bribes, by utilizing the banking channel for their execution. This move comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to annul the electoral bonds scheme, citing it as unconstitutional and ordering the disclosure of detailed transactions associated with it.
Ramesh criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to curb black money, instead, according to him, legalizing corruption through electoral bonds. The Congress alleges that the scheme has been exploited for “blatant corruption”, outlining four specific patterns of misuse, including transactions that resemble bribes given in anticipation of or in return for business contracts, as well as donations from shell companies, some of which are flagged for money laundering concerns.
A significant claim made by Ramesh involved an analysis purportedly revealing that 38 corporate groups, which secured 179 major contracts from the government totaling Rs 3.8 lakh crore, made electoral bond donations worth Rs 2,004 crore to the BJP. The analysis, facilitated by a simple Python code, contrasts with the State Bank of India’s assertion that releasing such data would be a months-long process, a claim Congress disputes.
In response to these allegations, the Congress has promised rigorous investigations into the electoral bonds scheme should the INDIA bloc secure victory in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Plans include forming a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the Adani group, and an SIT to scrutinize the PM-CARES Fund.
The issue of electoral bonds has sparked a contentious debate, with the Congress accusing the BJP of using the scheme to legally mask financial contributions that directly influence governmental contracts and policies. As political tensions rise ahead of the elections, the call for transparency and accountability in political financing remains a critical focal point.