Mallikarjun Kharge.
Credit: DH File Photo
Bhopal: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre did not want the names of purchasers of electoral bonds to come out.
Speaking at a rally at Badnawar in Madhya Pradesh as part of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, he also took a swipe at the BJP for admitting into its fold leaders whom it called tainted when they were with other parties.
"The RBI is listening to the BJP and not disclosing the names of those to whom electoral bonds were issued secretly," he said (apparently naming the Reserve Bank instead of the State Bank of India in a slip of tongue).
The bank did not want to disclose the names of those who gave money to get a clean chit through the Enforcement Directorate, Kharge said.
The Supreme Court in its February 15 judgement, which scrapped the electoral bonds scheme for political funding, directed the bank to disclose the name of purchasers, but the bank is saying it does not have data ready, he said.
'Why are you hiding the names?....This means all these people have collected donations by stealing and they want to continue this loot,' Kharge further said.
The SBI on Monday moved the apex court, seeking an extension till June 30 to disclose details of electoral bonds encashed by political parties. The SC had directed SBI to furnish the details to the Election Commission by March 6.
The Congress chief, meanwhile, also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of making false claims and promises.
The BJP inducts leaders from other parties, Kharge said, adding, 'When such leaders are in other parties, the ruling party terms them tainted, but when they join the BJP, they get cleaned up. Home Minister Amit Shah has a huge washing machine, and these tainted leaders get cleaned after going through it,' Kharge said.
He also took potshots at state BJP leader and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, mentioning the Vyapam scam and the Sidhi urination incident of 2023.
The Congress president also reiterated the party's commitment to conducting a caste-based census.