Amit Shah Responds to Rahul Gandhi’s Claim: “Opposition Also Received Electoral Bonds, Is It Extortion?

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has responded to criticism from the Congress party regarding the now-scrapped electoral bonds system. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Shah questioned whether opposition parties would consider the donations they received through bonds as “extortion.” He specifically mentioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s characterization of the system as the “world’s biggest extortion scheme” and the Prime Minister as the “champion of corruption.”

Shah also pointed out that the opposition parties themselves have received donations through electoral bonds, emphasizing that their donations in proportion to the number of MPs exceed those received by his party. He dismissed allegations of corruption against his party and accused the opposition of attempting to create confusion. The Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict on February 15, declaring the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional and arbitrary.

The court stated that the scheme violates citizens’ right to information, may lead to a quid pro quo arrangement between political parties and donors, and does not effectively address the issue of black money. Data released by the State Bank of India and made public by the Election Commission of India showed that the BJP had received the highest amount of funds through electoral bonds, followed by the Trinamool Congress and the Congress. In summary, Amit Shah’s remarks were a direct response to Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the electoral bonds system, and the Supreme Court’s verdict on the issue emphasized the concerns raised by the opposition about the scheme’s implications for transparency and accountability in political financing.