In a attack on the central government regarding the electoral bonds controversy, the Congress intensified its accusations on Monday, labeling the Modi government's actions as a form of "hafta vasuli" (extortion). Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary, alleged that 21 companies under investigation by the CBI, ED, or IT have contributed funds through electoral bonds. Ramesh said that revelations continue to surface, shedding light on the magnitude of the purported "electoral bond scam" with each passing day.
Today, we zoom in on the 'Pradhan Mantri Hafta Vasuli Yojana', the second of the four channels of corruption in the Electoral Bond Scam: 1.Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo 2.Hafta Vasuli, Ramesh said in a post on X.
P Sarath Chandra Reddy, director of Aurobindo Pharma, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 10, 2022, in connection with a money laundering case related to purported irregularities in the Delhi government's liquor policy. Subsequently, five days later, on November 15, Aurobindo Pharma purportedly contributed electoral bonds amounting to Rs 5 crore, as claimed.
Navayuga Engineering Company Limited bought electoral bonds worth Rs 30 crore in April 2019, six months after it was raided by the Income Tax Department in October 2018, he said.
On December 7, 2023, during the early hours, the Income Tax Department conducted raids on three units of Rungta Sons Pvt. Ltd. located in Ramgarh. Following this, on January 11, 2024, the company allegedly procured 50 electoral bonds, each valued at Rs 1 crore, according to allegations made by Ramesh. Notably, Ramesh highlighted that prior to this incident, the firm had only made a donation in April 2021.