Electoral bonds world’s biggest scam: Nirmala Sitharaman’s husband
Parakala Prabhakar, a distinguished economist and the spouse of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has forecasted a significant impact of the ‘Electoral bond issue’ on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the forthcoming elections.
Speaking to reporters, Prabhakar conveyed his perspective, asserting, “The electoral bond issue will gather much more momentum than it currently has. People are increasingly realising that it is not only the most significant scam in India but also the largest scam globally. Due to this matter, the electorate will severely penalise this government.”
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has emerged as the primary recipient of electoral bonds, as evidenced by data available on the official website of the Election Commission of India.
Between April 12, 2019 and February 15, 2024, the BJP amassed the highest funds through electoral bonds, totaling Rs 6,986.5 crore. Trinamool Congress, the governing party in Bengal, trailed with Rs 1,397 crore, followed by the Congress with Rs 1,334 crore and Bharat Rashtra Samithi with Rs 1,322 crore.
In a significant ruling in February, the Supreme Court had invalidated the Union government’s Electoral Bond Scheme, which facilitated anonymous funding to political parties, and instructed the State Bank of India to halt issuing Electoral Bonds immediately.
As per the data, 41 companies under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department contributed Rs 2,471 crore to the BJP through electoral bonds, with Rs 1,698 crore donated after raids by these agencies.
