Pradhan Mantri Hafta Vasuli Yojana | Congress' swipe at government over electoral bonds issue

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the Modi government of “hafta vasuli” (extortion) and claimed that 21 firms facing investigations from the CBI, Enforcement Directorate or I-T have donated through electoral bonds.

Stepping up its attack on the Centre over the electoral bonds issue, the Congress on March 18 accused the Modi government of "hafta vasuli" (extortion) and claimed that 21 firms facing investigations from the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) or I-T have donated through electoral bonds.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that with each passing day, more examples emerge on the true depths of the "electoral bond scam".

"Today, we zoom in on the 'Pradhan Mantri Hafta Vasuli Yojana', the second of the four channels of corruption in the Electoral Bond Scam: 1.Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo 2.Hafta Vasuli," Mr. Ramesh said in a post on X.

Supreme Court directs SBI to disclose all electoral bonds details by March 21

“On November 10, 2022, the ED arrested P. Sarath Chandra Reddy, the director of Aurobindo Pharma, in connection with its money-laundering case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the Delhi government’s liquor policy and five days later, on November 15, Aurobindo Pharma donated electoral bonds worth ₹5 crore,” he claimed.

"Navayuga Engineering Company Limited bought electoral bonds worth ₹30 crore in April 2019, six months after it was raided by the Income Tax Department in October 2018," he said.

“In the early hours of December 7, 2023, three units of Rungta Sons Private Limited in Ramgarh were raided by the Income Tax Department and on January 11, 2024, the company purchased 50 electoral bonds worth ₹1 crore each,” Mr. Ramesh alleged. “Before this, the firm only donated in April 2021,” he pointed out.