Electoral Bond Scheme: Karnataka Minister Seeks Nirmala Sitharaman’s Scalp After Extortion Plaint

Bengaluru: After an FIR was registered against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Bengaluru for allegedly extorting money through now scrapped electoral bonds, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday demanded the former’s resignation. The case was lodged following a court direction.

The minister has alleged that the companies, which had suffered huge losses, made significant donations to the BJP through the Electoral Bond scheme. The minister insisted that the court found valid grounds to direct the police to register an FIR against Sitharaman and other BJP leaders.

“If you have morality, then drive out former BJP Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his son B Y Vijayendra who is the BJP state president. Expel Nirmala Sitharaman, (leader of opposition in the Karnataka assembly) R Ashoka and BJP MLA Munirathna,” Kharge told to reporters at a press conference on Sunday.

“The Supreme Court has already told that the electoral bonds are illegal and unconstitutional. The same has been filed here in Karnataka. There are instances where they have forced companies into Quid pro quo and the architect of all this is the finance minister and that’s what the complaint has said. The court has upheld for the complaint. Let the investigation happen, what are they so scared of?” Kharge told the ANI.

An FIR has been lodged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 384 (extortion), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (acts by multiple individuals with a shared intent), police said, according to a PTI report.

The court in Bengaluru had directed the Tilak Nagar Police to file a case against the Union Finance Minister, following the allegations. The others, who have been implicated in the case, are key BJP leaders, including Karnataka president BY Vijayendra and party leader Nalin Kumar Kateel, along with sleuths from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Adarsh R Iyer, the Co-President of ‘Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath’ (JSP), filed the complaint. In his complaint, Iyer alleged that the accused engaged in extortion disguised as electoral bonds to reap over ₹8,000 crore.

He has also alleged that Sitharaman, with assistance from ED officials, enabled the siphoning of the amount for the ‘advantage of various individuals across state and national platforms.’ The complainant has alleged that the entire extortion scheme colluded with BJP officials at various levels, reported the Hindustan Times.

Sanjay Raut’s serious allegations

At a press briefing earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also accused the ED officials of extorting money connivance with BJP leaders and asserted these illegalities will be exposed when his party, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comes to power.

“One Jitu Navlani, who was employed as an agent of the ED, was involved in extorting money. Our MVA government pursued legal action against him. It is believed he had the support of both the ED and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis,” Raut alleged.

He further claimed that after Fadnavis shut down the special investigation team (SIT), probing the matter under the previous MVA government, when he took charge as the state home minister in June 2022.

Raut also pointed out that Rajeshwar Singh, a former ED official, is now a BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh.