16 March,2024 01:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Rahul Gandhi. Pic/PTI
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the opposition voices against the BJP-led Centre following the disclosure of political funding details through electoral bonds on the Election Commission's official portal. He branded the electoral bond scheme as the "biggest extortion racket in the world".
Speaking at a news conference during his ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Thane, Rahul claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are no longer autonomous institutions, but rather weapons in the hands of the BJP and RSS to target opposition leaders, reported ANI.
According to the report, in a statement released on X, Rahul launched a new attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stated, "Narendra Modi ran the world's largest Extortion racket in the name of electoral bonds."
He criticised the BJP, accusing them of undermining the country's institutional framework. Rahul claimed that the BJP has crippled and dismantled the institutional structure of India, calling it the "single biggest anti-national activity under this government".
Asserting that the electoral bond scheme was Prime Minister Modi's brainchild, Rahul stated, "This scheme was conceived by the PM, who claimed that electoral bonds would purify the country's politics."
Responding to a question about the electoral bond scheme, Rahul insisted that these are not mere allegations but factual observations. He suggested scrutinising companies that donated to the BJP, indicating that their contributions often followed cases filed against them by the ED or CBI.
"In the name of electoral bonds, the 'extortion government' has committed the world's biggest corruption. This model of extortion from companies was prepared by Narendra Modi himself. The rules of this 'criminal game' were clear: Give a contract on one side, take a cut from the other side; Raid from one side, took donations from the other side," he wrote.
He further mentioned, "Investigative agencies like ED, IT, CBI are working as 'recovery agents' of Narendra Modi. Those which were once the institutions of the country are now working as weapons of the BJP. Indian media is not in a position to tell the truth about electoral bonds to the public, hence you will have to recognise the real face of BJP yourself. Narendra Modi is the first Prime Minister of the country to completely immerse the government system in organized corruption."
Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also criticised PM Modi over the electoral bond scheme, holding him accountable for benefiting from electoral bonds.
