Ashok Gehlot hits out at Modi govt over electoral bonds scheme

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday demanded the central government to immediately withdraw its electoral bonds scheme, saying the arrangement will promote black money.

He said despite objections from the Election Commission, Reserve Bank of India and opposition parties, the Modi government brought in electoral bonds to "whiten black money".

RBI (Governor) had clearly stated that electoral bonds can lead to money laundering. In 2017-18, BJP got 95 per cent share of the electoral bonds.

EC filed an affidavit in the SC in 2019 stating that the electoral bonds would end the transparency of donations received by political parties. The EC has softened its stance now, Gehlot said in a series of tweets.

Modi government should immediately withdraw the electoral bonds which are promoting black money. Simply withdrawing it will not serve the purpose. SC should take the petition regarding electoral bonds to its logical conclusion to ensure transparency in the political funding, he said.

The CM said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to curb the issue of black money.

He could neither bring back the black money from abroad nor demonetisation could tackle the problem, he said.