Lok Sabha 2024: Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his regard for the Supreme Court’s decision regarding electoral bonds, emphasizing that the scheme was initially implemented to curb the influence of black money in politics.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave, Shah suggested, “I believe that instead of entirely discarding electoral bonds, efforts should have been made to enhance its effectiveness.”
Amit Shah alleged that opposition leaders previously accepted political donations in cash to line their own pockets, citing an example where only a fraction of the donation was deposited in the party’s name while the rest was retained personally. He specifically accused the Congress of operating this system for years.
Responding to claims that the electoral bonds primarily benefited the BJP, Shah pointed out that while the BJP received around ₹6,000 crore out of a total of ₹20,000 crore, other parties also received significant amounts.
Where did the electoral funds come from before the introduction of the electoral bond? They want the cash donations to continue so that the source can never be traced.
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) March 16, 2024
इलेक्टोरल बॉन्ड आने से पहले चुनाव का फंड कहाँ से आता था…ये लोग चाहते हैं कि फिर से इन्हें कैश में चंदा मिलने… pic.twitter.com/6aSCwpfdL6
He highlighted that the TMC received ₹1,600 crore, Congress ₹1,400 crore, BRS ₹1,200 crore, BJD ₹750 crore, and DMK ₹639 crore. Shah questioned the discrepancy between the amounts received by different parties despite differences in their parliamentary strength.
These statements from Shah come amidst ongoing controversies surrounding the electoral bonds scheme, with critics raising concerns about its lack of transparency and potential for misuse.
The Congress has been particularly vocal in criticizing the scheme, alleging that it enables anonymous corporate donations to political parties, thereby compromising transparency in political funding.