Criminal case filed against Nirmala Sitharaman over alleged electoral bonds extortion
- In Reports
- 09:11 PM, Sep 28, 2024
- Myind Staff
A case has been filed against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others following orders from a Bengaluru Special Court. The allegations involve extortion related to the now-abandoned electoral bonds scheme. The complaint was lodged by Adarsh Iyer of the Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSP), who accuses Ms. Sitharaman and her associates of running an extortion racket disguised as the electoral bonds initiative.
A complaint filed in Bengaluru includes not only Nirmala Sitharaman but also BJP President JP Nadda, former BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel, and the party's current state chief BY Vijayendra. The First Information Report (FIR) registered at Tilaknagar Police Station mentions Ms. Sitharaman, along with unnamed Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, "office bearers and others at the national level" of the BJP, Mr. Kateel, Mr. Vijayendra, and unnamed state BJP officials. The FIR cites sections related to extortion and criminal conspiracy.
The complaint alleges that corporate entities were pressured into purchasing electoral bonds amounting to thousands of crores, claiming that raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) were used as a tactic to coerce them. It is asserted that these electoral bonds were subsequently cashed by BJP leaders at both national and state levels.
The complaint also alleges that the electoral bonds scheme enabled the accumulation of illicit funds for political purposes, implicating Ms. Sitharaman and other senior BJP leaders in the process.
In response, the BJP has defended Nirmala Sitharaman, asserting that the allegations are politically motivated and that the electoral bonds issue should be viewed as a policy matter rather than a criminal one. Additionally, the party criticised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah regarding the ongoing MUDA case.
BJP spokesperson Dr. Sudha Halkai stated, "Mr. Siddaramaiah has a history of not cooperating with investigation agencies. There were 106 cases against Congress leaders, and of those, 64 directly involved Mr. Siddaramaiah during his last term as Chief Minister of Karnataka."
Mr. Siddaramaiah, facing pressure from an FIR related to the ongoing Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case, questioned why senior leaders such as Ms. Sitharaman and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who are also under corruption investigations, are not being asked to resign. He argued that if he is expected to step down, the same standards should apply to Ms. Sitharaman and other BJP leaders facing FIRs.
The Lokayukta police have filed an FIR against Mr. Siddaramaiah, his wife, and other family members over allegations of illegal allotment of MUDA sites.
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