Electoral bonds was world's biggest extortion racket: Rahul Gandhi

The funds amassed through the scheme were used to split political parties and topple opposition governments, he alleged at a press conference here, a day after data pertaining to the scheme was made public following Supreme Court directions.

Thane: Describing the electoral bonds scheme as the “biggest scam”, “extortion racket,” and “anti-national activity” at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged that central agencies have facilitated the collection to favour the BJP.

“There cannot be a bigger anti-national activity than this,” Gandhi told a press conference on the penultimate day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which would end in Mumbai on Saturday coinciding with the announcement of the schedule for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. 

According to him, the central agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate  (ED) and Income Tax (IT) have become a weapon in the hands of the BJP-RSS. 

“It is an extortion racket…blatant and run by India’s Prime Minister (Narendra Modi),” said Gandhi. 

“Few years back Modi ji spoke about the political finance system and electoral bonds and these were introduced. The concept is the biggest extortion racket in the world. To take extortions from the companies. To take contracts from the companies,” said Gandhi. 

Describing it as “the biggest example of corruption and scam in the world,” he said, “It’s a way of intimidating corporates and taking money from them. This is a huge theft that is taking place, which is purely orchestrated by the Prime Minister.”

Elaborating further, Gandhi said, “Raids by ED, IT and CBI happen on companies and after few days those companies donate to BJP through electoral bonds…companies get contracts and after few days they give a ‘cut’ to BJP through electoral bonds…It is a mean to take share of contract from company and to take haftas.” 

“The entire list isn’t out, shell companies are there,” he added. 

In a statement that comes as a warning to bureaucrats and top bosses of investigative agencies and a message to the ruling party, the former Congress President said, “Someday BJP government will be removed and then these officers will be punished. And, the punishment will be such that nobody will ever think to do these things…that’s my guarantee.”  

“Political parties like Shiv Sena and NCP are being broken using the money. This is from where the money has come from,” he said, adding further, “CBI and ED are not doing investigation. They are doing extortion. The political parties are being broken by BJP and (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah and the entire Maharashtra knows that the money for that has come from here.”

"None of the opposition parties had access to national level contracts, none of the opposition parties had control over agencies, none of the opposition parties had access to Pegasus. It is not about opposition,” he added.