A Bengaluru court on Friday, September 28 has instructed the Tilak Nagar Police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, following allegations that she was involved in extorting money through the now-defunct electoral bonds.
The decision comes in response to a petition filed by Adarsh Iyer of the Janadhikar Sangharsh Parishad (JSP), requesting action against Nirmala Sitharaman along with other BJP leaders in the Special Court of People’s Representatives.
The complaint alleges that corporate entities were coerced into purchasing electoral bonds amounting to thousands of crores, with raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) used as a pressure tactic. These electoral bonds were reportedly cashed by BJP leaders, including Sitharaman, at both national and state levels.
Additionally, the complainant claimed to have submitted a detailed report to the SHO of the Tilaknagar police station on March 30, but no action has been taken despite the complaint against Nirmala Sitharaman. Even the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) of Bengaluru South East did not respond.
In light of the court’s ruling, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has called for Nirmala Sitharaman’s resignation and criticized the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party for failing to protest against her alleged involvement in the “scam.”
What is electoral bond scheme?
An electoral bond allows individuals, corporations or organisations to contribute or donate money to any political party anonymously by purchasing bonds from the SBI.
According to the scheme, if the money donated is not encashed within 15 days, it will automatically be transferred to the Prime Minister Relief Fund.
Electoral bond scheme was introduced in the Parliament as part of the 2017 Union Budget by then Union finance minister Arun Jaitley.
According to Major General Anil Verma (retired), head of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), one of the petitioners in the case, the scheme legalises lobbying and corruption. “The secrecy around the donors’ identity is problematic. It could be big-time corporations or it could be players funnelling illicit money through shell companies – we don’t know who is donating. This has become what many call legalised and institutionalised corruption,” he told Al Jazeera in an interview
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