Amit Shah shows ‘full respect' to SC order on electoral bonds, but says ‘it should…’
Amit Shah on Friday showed respect to the Supreme Court order on electoral bonds, saying the scheme was introduced to terminate the influence of black money in politics. Addressing the India Today Conclave, Shah said, “I feel that instead of completely scrapping the electoral bonds, it should have been improved." He claimed that the opposition leaders used to take political donations in cash to fill their own pockets. “For example, out of a donation of ₹1,100, they used to deposit ₹100 in the party's name and keep ₹1,000 in their own pockets.
The Congress has run this system for years," the minister said. “It has been said that the electoral bonds have benefitted the BJP and Rahul Gandhi has made a statement that it is the biggest extortion activity," Shah said as quoted by ANI. Shah clarified that the BJP has got approximately ₹6,000 crore, out of a total ₹20,000 crore in electoral bonds.
He asked, “Where did the rest of the bonds go?" "TMC has got ₹1,600 crore, Congress got ₹1,400 crore, BRS got ₹1,200 crore, BJD got ₹750 crore and DMK got ₹639 crore. We have got ₹6,000 crore despite having 303 MPs and the rest got ₹14,000 crore against 242 MPs. What is the hue and cry about? I can say that once the accounts are settled they will not be able to face you all," he said.
His remarks came amidst controversies surrounding the electoral bonds scheme, which allows anonymous donations to political parties. Critics have raised concerns about the lack of transparency and the potential for misuse. The Congress has long criticized the opaque electoral bond scheme, alleging that it facilitates anonymous corporate donations to political parties, potentially compromising transparency in political funding.
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