The BJP has defended Nirmala Sitharaman, distancing itself from the allegations.
A case has been registered against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others, on the orders of a Bengaluru Special Court, over allegations of extortion through the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme. The complaint was filed by Adarsh Iyer of the Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSP), accusing Ms Sitharaman and others of orchestrating an extortion racket under the guise of electoral bonds.
A complaint filed in Bengaluru names not only Nirmala Sitharaman but also BJP President JP Nadda, former BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel and the party's current state chief BY Vijayendra. The First Information Report registered at the Tilaknagar Police Station in the city, however, mentions only Ms Sitharaman, unnamed Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, "office bearers and others, national level" of the BJP, Mr Kateel and Mr Vijayendra, and unnamed state office bearers of the BJP. The sections mentioned in the FIR pertain to extortion and criminal conspiracy.
The complaint alleges that corporate entities were coerced into purchasing electoral bonds to the tune of thousands of crores, citing raids conducted by the ED as a pressure tactic. These electoral bonds were purportedly cashed by BJP leaders at both national and state levels.
The complaint claims that the electoral bonds scheme facilitated the accumulation of illicit funds for political purposes, with Ms Sitharaman and other senior BJP leaders involved in the process.
The BJP has defended Nirmala Sitharaman, distancing itself from the allegations. The party argued that the charges are politically motivated and that the electoral bonds issue is a policy matter, not a criminal one. The BJP also attacked Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the ongoing MUDA case.
"Mr Siddaramaiah is a habitual offender when it comes to cooperating with the investigation agencies. There were 106 cases against Congress leaders, and among those, 64 were absolutely on Mr Siddaramaiah when he was the Chief Minister of Karnataka the last time," said Dr Sudha Halkai, BJP spokesperson.
Mr Siddaramaiah, under pressure due to an FIR filed against him in the ongoing Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) land allotment case, questioned why senior leaders like Ms Sitharaman and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, also facing a corruption probe, are not being asked to resign. He said that if he is expected to step down, the same standards should apply to Ms Sitharaman and other BJP leaders facing FIRs.
The Lokayukta police have registered an FIR against Mr Siddaramaiah, his wife, and other family members over the alleged illegal allotment of MUDA sites.