Electoral bonds biggest ever scam in independent India

Hyderabad: At meeting organised by Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan and Telangana People’s JAC (TPJAC) at Madina Education Centre, Hyderabad on Sunday, renowned Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan and senior social activist Anjali Bharadwaj lambasted the Centre’s electoral bonds scheme, calling it the biggest scam in India till date.

“BJP government is indulging in rampant abuse of all institutions. 2024 elections will determine the future of democracy and Constitution in India,” Bhushan said. The duo addressed Hyderabad citizens and media on Electoral Bonds, Election Commission and how Democracy is in danger during Elections 2024.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who has led the case on electoral bonds in the ct, said that the electoral bond scam is the biggest scam ever in India. He said that the scale of corruption is much beyond the Rs 8,400 crore BJP has received through electoral bonds. Contracts and projects worth lakhs of crores were awarded in quid pro quo of electoral bonds, he alleged. He also exposed the gaps in the election norms, especially the spending cap of Rs 95 lakh on individual candidates, but no spending limit on parties. BJP has officially received Rs 8400 crore through electoral bonds alone, which is nearly 20 times the total spending limit on all candidates being put up by BJP, he added.

He spoke elaborately on the manner in which BJP has been harming our democracy, abusing institutions such as ED, CBI, IT Dept, jailing opposition leaders and Chief Ministers. “BJP is also regressively weakening the Election Commission, CAG and appointing RSS members as VCs across Universities and promoting bulldozer-raj.

While much of mainstream media has been compromised, the Govt now wants to clamp down on alternative media as well,” he claimed.

Assuring Hyderabadis that BJP is losing both the narrative and the elections, he said this is the time to keep our spirits high and fully involve ourselves in saving the Constitution through citizens and people's movements, since this can't be left to political parties alone. Anjali Bharadwaj of Common Cause, one of the petitioners in the Electoral bonds case, spoke on the three ways in which the Constitution is under threat today a) clampdown on people's right to question b) weakening of pro-people laws and c) democratic institutions abdicating their responsibility. She spoke of the attack on RTI Act through data protection laws and influencing the appointment process of Information Commissioners.

Giving many examples, she highlighted the pattern of quid pro quo between the purchasers of electoral bonds and the series of pro-corporate anti-people laws such as farm laws and labour codes. Welcoming the SC order on electoral bonds that would strengthen people's Right to Information, she said the six-year delay has been costly as the BJP, the biggest beneficiary has amassed wealth which has helped it win in 2019 elections and is being used in 2024 elections.

She called upon the citizens to keep questioning, use the power to vote wisely and mount pressure on authorities and institutions to keep up our Constitution and democracy alive. Prof. Haragopal, Convenor of Telangana People’s Joint Action Committee (TPJAC), said that dissent is the lifeblood of democracy.

But the BJP is trying to crush dissent in every way possible and invoking draconian laws against ordinary citizens raising important issues. “We are in an alarming situation today and therefore have a historic responsibility to stand up for our democracy. Telangana has a rich history of people's uprisings and we must rise up to the occasion,” he said. He also condemned the manner in which the Finance Minister said the electoral bonds will be reintroduced if her party comes to power, and that the Prime Minister calling electoral bonds a 'success story' is a shame, she pointed out.