For the first time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke in detail about the recently scrapped Electoral Bond Scheme and came out with facts and figures to reject the Opposition charge that BJP cornered most of the donations. In an interview to ANI news agency on Monday, Modi said, out of nearly 3,000 companies that bought electoral bonds, only 26 companies are facing actions from the Enforcement Directorate. He also said, among these 26 companies, 16 companies bought electoral bonds despite facing legal actions. Modi said, out of these 16 companies, 37 per cent of the electoral bond money went to the BJP, while 63 per cent of the electoral bond money went to opposition parties that are not aligned with BJP.
Modi said, these figures clearly rubbish the Opposition’s allegation that ED and CBI were misused to get electoral donations. The Prime Minister said, those who are opposing the electoral bond scheme will regret it later. He said “This (scrapping) is a decision everyone will regret when there is honest reflection…this has completely pushed the country towards black money”. Modi also rubbished the opposition allegations that the government was misusing ED and CBI to target political opponents. He said, “out of all the cases ED has registered, only 3 per cent cases are against politicians while 97 per cent of the accused are those who have nothing to do with politics. They are either drug mafia or officials involved in corruption, or officers who had created benami (illegal) assets.
97 per cent of cases are against them and they have been sent to jail”. Modi said, those in the opposition who are making an issue about appointments of heads of ED, CBI and Election Commissioners, know that their defeat (in elections) is sure, and they are looking for excuses. The Prime Minister also spoke about his plan for Indian tax payers, on Sanatana Dharma and alleged politicization of Hinduism, Ayodhya Ram temple issue and his future roadmap. Soon after the PM’s interview was telecast, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reacted saying electoral bond scheme was the “biggest extortion scheme of the world and Modi was the mastermind”.
Rahul Gandhi demanded that the PM must explain how CBI starts inquiry and after BJP gets electoral bond money, the inquiry is scrapped. Political allegations and counter-allegations apart, Modi, in his more than an hour long interview pointed out what his government did during the last ten years, and outlined his vision for the next 25 years. He also indicated what his government would do in the first 100 days of his government’s third term. This clearly shows Modi is confident of getting a third term. The opposition had been alleging that the present election is not being held with a “level playing field” and CBI and ED are being misused to intimidate opposition parties. The opposition has also alleged that several leaders have been jailed and some leaders have been forced to leave their parties.
Modi replied to all these charges. The opposition parties have also alleged that they are short of funds ahead of the elections because the government has intimated the donors. Modi, on his part, came with all facts and figures relating to electoral bond donations, ED and CBI probes. One important point that Modi made was, one can understand the DMK’s compulsion for criticizing Sanatan Dharma, but, Modi asked, why has the Congress forgotten Sanatan culture? This is another point on which the Congress appears to be on a weak pitch.
