New Delhi, The Congress party has leveled serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of misusing central probe agencies to extort donations from private companies. This claim comes amid concerns over the impartiality and independence of institutions like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Income Tax (IT) Department.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Congress MP and general secretary of communications, Jairam Ramesh, called for a court-monitored investigation into these allegations during a press conference held in New Delhi. Ramesh’s call for scrutiny follows a letter by Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging a thorough probe into the misuse of probe agencies for political fundraising.
Highlighting a report by The News Minute and Newslaundry, Ramesh pointed out that 30 companies under investigation by the ED and IT Department had donated a substantial sum of Rs 335 crores to the BJP over the last five years. This correlation between the timing of agency probes and subsequent donations to the BJP, Ramesh argued, suggests a deliberate strategy of intimidation and extortion, a practice colloquially known as “hafta-vasooli.”
The report in question reveals that these donations came from companies that had either never contributed to the BJP prior to being raided or significantly increased their contributions following such actions by central agencies. This pattern raises questions about the potential use of state power to influence corporate contributions to political coffers, an issue that Congress insists must be addressed through a transparent and judicially supervised investigation.
This controversy underscores the growing debate over the role of central probe agencies in India’s political landscape, with the Congress party demanding accountability and safeguards to prevent the politicization of federal investigative bodies.