Amidst the discourse sparked by Rahul Gandhi’s characterization of electoral bonds as ‘hafta vasooli’, Union Home Minister Amit Shah articulated his demand for Rahul Gandhi to elucidate the origins of Rs 1,600 crore attributed to ‘hafta vasooli’. Shah emphasized that if Gandhi deems it fit to denigrate the bonds as vasooli, he must furnish comprehensive elucidation on its procurement.
“Gandhi too has received an amount of Rs 1,600 crore. He ought to elucidate the origins of that ‘hafta vasooli’. We affirm its transparency as a donation, however, if he chooses to characterize it as vasooli, he must provide explicit clarification,” Shah stated in a video disseminated on his X account. Responding to queries regarding the BJP’s stance on revealing their donor roster akin to other political factions, Shah asserted, “Rest assured, once the particulars are divulged, the INDIA coalition will encounter public scrutiny.”
The advent of electoral bonds aimed to mitigate the stranglehold of illicit funds in Indian political terrain, purportedly intended to extirpate black money. However, with the demise of this scheme, Shah expressed apprehensions regarding the resurgence of unaccounted finances. He articulated the necessity for reforming the electoral bond mechanism rather than its outright annulment.
“I contend that instead of its annulment, reforms should be instituted, albeit its significance is debatable given the apex court’s decree, which I duly acknowledge,” he appended. “However, in my personal assessment, these bonds had substantially curtailed the influx of illicit funds into the political sphere. Consequently, the entire INDIA conglomerate, under Rahul Gandhi’s stewardship, harbored antipathy towards the bonds, advocating for the reinstatement of the erstwhile system fraught with pecuniary inducements,” the senior BJP luminary expounded.
The Electoral Bond Scheme facilitated financial influx into Indian political parties while safeguarding the anonymity of donors. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling in February, invalidated the Central Government’s Electoral Bond Scheme, mandating an immediate cessation of Electoral Bond issuance by the State Bank of India.
In compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive, the Election Commission of India (ECI) recently divulged electoral bond data on its official platform. The State Bank of India (SBI) furnished the information encompassing intricate details pertaining to these electoral bonds.