The Congress launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the electoral bonds matter. They alleged that the Modi government, using the State Bank of India (SBI), has consistently attempted to impede or postpone the disclosure of donor details, including the amounts donated and to which political party.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress's general secretary in charge of communications, remarked that it was "surprising" to see the Prime Minister remain in New Delhi on Wednesday rather than embarking on his usual travels around the country for new inaugurations, rebranding events, or taking credit for past accomplishments.
In a post on X, Ramesh put forward some questions for the PM, saying he should answer about the most basic responsibilities of his government. Since the Supreme Court Verdict which declared Electoral Bonds as unconstitutional on February 15, 2024, the Modi Government through the SBI has consistently tried to halt or delay the revelation of who donated how much 'chanda' to which political party, Ramesh alleged.
What is the prime minister so scared of and what new scam will the electoral bonds data reveal, he asked. On February 20, 2024, it was revealed that the BJP got a bonanza of Rs. 335 crore in donations from 30 companies, immediately after they had been raided or investigated by the ED, CBI, or IT department. Why did these firms donate to the BJP immediately after being raided? Ramesh said.
Ramesh questioned whether the BJP was intimidating these firms by leveraging the threat of investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Income Tax (IT) department to coerce donations from them. His criticism of the government follows the State Bank of India (SBI) submitting details to the Election Commission regarding entities that had bought the now-defunct electoral bonds and the political parties that had received them. This submission was made in compliance with a Supreme Court order to provide the information.