BJP should give away their electoral bonds fund to charity, public welfare: Atishi

Arvind Kejriwal arrest: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and minister Atishi, in a press conference, has said that the largest amount of money from companies accused of corruption and money laundering has come to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by means of electoral bonds. She asked the ruling BJP to assure everyone that they will not use the funds in campaigning and to use it for public welfare or charity. 

Atishi said, "The most money from companies accused of money laundering has come to BJP in the form of donations through electoral bonds. The Prime Minister said that to distribute this money collected by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), it will have to make a law. But if you want to distribute or use the money received from these 41 companies accused of money laundering who were raided by I-T, CBI and ED, for public interest, then BJP doesn't need to make any law. BJP is the biggest beneficiary of this laundered money to the tune of Rs 2,471 crore. BJP needs to say that they will not use this money in campaigning." 

She further stated that BJP needs to assure everyone that they will use the money that has come from companies accused of money laundering for the welfare of the nation’s public, will give it to charity, or will utilise it to make schools, hospitals for the poor.

“It is common knowledge that all the companies that saw action or raids by the ED or CBI bought electoral bonds a few days later and gave money to BJP. The first and foremost is liquor baron Sarath Chandra Reddy, who was arrested by ED on November 10 in connection with the excise policy case. A few days after he was arrested, liquor baron Sarath Chandra Reddy donated Rs 55 crore to BJP,” she said. 

Atishi’s comments come after ED’s allegations that around Rs 45 crore from the ‘proceeds of crime’ of Rs 100 crore that AAP received from the ‘South group’ was sent to Goa for use in the party’s election campaign. 

The ‘South group’ in reference includes YSRCP MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (MSR), his son Magunta Raghava Reddy, and BRS MLC K Kavitha, represented by businessman Arun Ramachandra Pillai, along with Hyderabad businessman Abhishek Boinpally, chartered accountant Butchibabu Gorantla, and leading pharma company director P Sarath Candra Reddy. Businessman Sameer Mahendru and AAP’s communication-in-charge Vijay Nair alleged plotted along with the ‘South group’.