Electoral bonds issue: 'Are all 1,300 companies thieves?' Acharya Pramod Krishnam attacks Opposition, Rahul Gandhi

Expelled Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam has defended the Centre in the face of Opposition criticism over the publication of data on electoral bond funding. Krishnam questioned if the Opposition was implying that all 1,300 companies that donated via these bonds were 'thieves'.

"All political parties across the world receive donations. Are they (Opposition) suggesting that the 1,300 companies that made political donations through these electoral bonds, the money from which went into nation-building, are thieves? Are they robbers? The money they have donated is now on record. It is the public domain. Casting aspersions on the contributions that are on record shows the dirty mindset of the Opposition," Acharya Krishnam said.

He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who had earlier claimed that the BJP was running the "biggest extortion in the world" through the Electoral Bond Scheme. "The entire Opposition has started speaking in Rahul-ji's language. This is most unfortunate," the expelled Congress leader added.

Congress on electoral bonds issue

The Congress on Friday claimed that around 60 per cent of the electoral bonds went to the BJP a day after the Election Commission published the data shared by the State Bank of India (SBI) on the orders of the Supreme Court.

"I have analysed it (electoral bonds)... The analysis shows how the electoral bonds were misused. 60 per cent of the electoral bonds went to the BJP. I have shown through the analysis how the ED, CBI, and Income Tax have also been misused... ," Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh told ANI.

"Those who have donated were awarded contracts and other projects. It is a joint conspiracy," Ramesh claimed.

Electoral bonds data

The Election Commission has published data on electoral bonds, revealing notable buyers such as Lakshmi Mittal, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Vedanta, ITC, and Mahindra and Mahindra. A lesser-known entity, Future Gaming and Hotel Services, also emerged as a significant buyer with bonds worth over Rs 1,368 crore.

This was followed by Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd (Rs 966 crore), Qwik Supply Chain Pvt Ltd (Rs 410 crore), Vedanta Ltd (Rs 400 crore), Haldia Energy Ltd (Rs 377 crore), Bharti Group (Rs 247 crore), Essel Mining & Industries Ltd (Rs 224 crore), Western UP Power Transmission Company Ltd (Rs 220 crore), Keventer Foodpark Infra Ltd (Rs 195 crore), and Madanlal Ltd (Rs 185 crore).

The data also revealed that political donations through these bonds were primarily issued in the names of political parties or their leaders. These include the BJP, Congress, Trinamool Congress, AAP, Samajwadi Party, AIADMK, BRS, Shiv Sena, TDP, YSR Congress, DMK, JDS, NCP, JDU and RJD.

The move is aimed at enhancing the transparency of political contributions.