‘Khatakhat’ cash transfer: Lawyer writes to President Murmu; seeks disqualification of 99 Congress MPs

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, June 8

A Delhi-based lawyer on Saturday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu seeking disqualification of 99 newly elected Congress MPs for committing an offence under Section 123(1) of the Representation of People Act (RPA), 1951, saying the party’s ‘khatakhat’ cash transfer promise amounted to gross corrupt practices as it was aimed at bribing voters.

In his 10-page representation sent to the President, advocate Vibhor Anand urged the President to direct the Election Commission to initiate an inquiry under Section 146 of the RPA against the Congress and its leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as also party members involved in inducing voters by bribery through the Congress Guarantee Card and disqualify all the 99 MPs who got elected to the 18th Lok Sabha.

“Making such a promise to voters amounts to an attempt to bribe the electorate and an offence under Section 123 of the RPA. Every holder of Congress Guarantee Card is legally entitled to drag the Congress, its leaders and workers to court,” Anand told The Tribune.

“For the last 3 days the entire media is flooded with videos of thousands of females who stated that the members of Indian National Congress Party gave this signed Guarantee Card to them and told them that Sh. Rahul Gandhi and Congress Party would deposit Rs. 8500 per month immediately after 4th June,” the representation read.

“Surprisingly, on 6th June 2024 it was reported from various parts of the country that thousands of women lined up outside offices of the Congress Party to submit Congress Guarantee Cards which had digital signatures of Sh. Rahul Gandhi and Sh. Mallikarjun Kharge, President, Indian National Congress,” Anand said.

He said the party distributed ‘Congress Guarantee Card’ across India during their Election Campaign and Rahul Gandhi and all the leaders of the party made several statements regarding “Congress ki Guarantee” during his rallies.

“Interestingly it is noticed that the majority of these women who are lining up are from the Muslim Community, therefore the possibility of inducing the voters of a particular community through Congress Guarantee Card is established beyond doubt,” Anand said.

“A bare reading of Section 123 of RP Act and the contents of the Congress Guarantee Card is enough to establish that the Indian National Congress and its leaders along with all its members resorted to gross corrupt practices to induce female voters by way of bribery of Rs. 8500 per month/ Rs. 1 Lac Per annum to every female voters,” the lawyer said, adding, it’s crystal clear that the Congress, its leaders and members committed an offence under Section 123(1) of the RPA, 1951.