Electoral bonds ensured routing of bribe through banking: Congress

New Delhi, March 23

Stepping up the attack on the BJP-led government over the electoral bonds issue, the Congress on Saturday said the scheme ensured that prepaid, postpaid and even post-raid bribe could be routed through the banking channel.

Prepaid, postpaid, post-raid bribe

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh talked about four patterns of “blatant corruption” via electoral bonds —”Chanda Do, Dhanda Lo” (prepaid bribe); “Theka Lo, Rishvat Do” (postpaid bribe); “Hafta Vasooli” (extortion/post-raid bribe); and “Farzi Company” (shell companies)

The Opposition party also reiterated its demand that there should be a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the case.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged the Prime Minister, who promised to “bring back black money” stashed abroad, had actually legalised corruption.

The Opposition party also released a “python code” which, it claimed, took less than 15 seconds to match the donors with political parties, exposing the brazen and ridiculous claim of the SBI that it would take months to provide the data sought by the Supreme Court.

Ramesh talked about four patterns of “blatant corruption” via electoral bonds—“Chanda Do, Dhanda Lo” (prepaid bribe); “Theka Lo, Rishvat Do” (postpaid bribe); “Hafta Vasooli” (extortion/post-raid bribe); and “Farzi Company” (shell companies). Ramesh said the analysis showed that 41 corporate groups had donated electoral bonds worth Rs 2,000 crore.

In return, these companies got 179 contracts worth Rs 3.8 lakh crore, Ramesh claimed. The Congress leader claimed that when the INDIA bloc comes to power, it would get the electoral bonds scam investigated by an SIT.

He also said a JPC would be formed over the Adani matter and an SIT would look into the PM-CARES Fund, if the INDIA bloc was voted to power.