The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): Yashwant Sinha, former Finance Minister and ex-BJP leader, has launched a sharp critique against the current BJP government, labeling the electoral bonds scheme and the demonetisation policy as major corruption scandals cloaked in secrecy. In an interview with PTI, Sinha expressed his views on the government’s handling of these policies and dismissed the BJP’s electoral projections as overly optimistic.
Sinha, who left the BJP in 2018 citing concerns over democratic values, described the electoral bonds as a “huge scandal” and claimed demonetisation was essentially a means to launder black money. According to Sinha, the complete return of demonetised currency to banks without any significant prosecutions contradicts the government’s claims of it being a strike against black money.
The former minister also referred to a statement purportedly made by the finance minister’s husband, calling the electoral bonds scheme “the biggest exercise of corruption in the whole world.” Sinha argues that the BJP has used the scheme primarily to funnel black money to its coffers under a veil of secrecy.
Regarding the BJP’s claim of winning more than 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Sinha mocked the figure as modest, suggesting the party could have claimed an even higher number. He reminded listeners of past elections where the BJP’s optimistic projections did not materialize, predicting a similar outcome this time.
Sinha praised the INDIA bloc, a coalition of opposition parties including the Congress, for its potential to perform strongly in the elections. He criticized Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s credibility following his re-entry into the NDA, a move Sinha sees as opportunistic.
Concluding his remarks, Sinha, who now leads a retired life due to health reasons, reaffirmed his decision not to return to politics despite encouragement to contest from his former constituency, Hazaribagh. His critique of the BJP underscores significant divisions within Indian political discourse, particularly concerning accountability and corruption.
