New Delhi: The BJP had introduced electoral bonds in 2018. So when the Supreme Court scrapped electoral bonds a month ago, ruling it as unconstitutional, it was a blow for the saffron party’s ego.
On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that it was introduced to wipe out black money. Now that the scheme has been scrapped, he fears the return of black money.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2024, Shah said he did not want to comment on the Supreme Court’s order but was ready to discuss the scheme and how it was designed to wipe out black money.
Shah said before electoral bonds, political parties received donations through cash. Post the introduction of the scheme, companies or individuals had to deposit a cheque to Reserve Bank of India to purchase the bond for donation to parties.
“There is a perception that the BJP benefitted from the electoral bonds scheme because it is in power… Rahul Gandhi also said it is the biggest extortion racket in the world. Don’t know who writes these things for him,” Shah quipped.
“The BJP received around Rs 6,000 crore through electoral bonds. The total bonds (of all parties) amounted to Rs 20,000 crore. So where did the bond for the Rs 14,000 go?” asked the Home Minister, adding that Trinamool Congress received Rs 1600 crore, Congress Rs 1400 crore, Bharath Rashtra Samithi Rs 1200 crore, BJD Rs 775 crore and DMK Rs 649 crore.
Slamming the Opposition which have been criticising BJP for the large sum it received through electoral bonds, Shah remarked that the amount Congress and other parties received are disproportionate to the number of seats they have in Lok Sabha and number of party members.
Shah asserted that there was no scope for secrecy vis-à-vis electoral bonds scheme as the amount was reflected in bank accounts of the donors and the political parties.
