Electoral bonds scheme biggest scam in the world, claims Ashok Gehlot

The electoral bonds scheme was the biggest scam in the world, alleged senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday, 4 May.

He was addressing a poll rally in Rajgarh, where party colleague Digvijaya Singh is pitted against two-time sitting BJP MP Rodmal Nagar.

Even Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's husband Parakala Prabhakar, who is an economist, claims the electoral bonds scheme was not just the biggest scam of India but of the world, Gehlot alleged.

On 15 February, the Supreme Court struck down the electoral bonds scheme as unconstitutional and violative of the fundamental right to information.

"The BJP has a washing machine to clean the corrupt people who join it," Gehlot said, adding that the NCP was accused of being involved in scams totalling Rs 70,000 crore but its leader Ajit Pawar was now allied with the ruling party in Maharashtra.

Gehlot also alleged the judiciary and the Election Commission were under pressure.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the former Rajasthan CM said the BJP was telling people the Congress would take away one out of two buffaloes they owned if it came to power.

Then it says Pakistan will be happy if the Congress wins the 2024 polls, he said in another swipe at the ruling party.

"The Lok Sabha polls are being fought to save democracy and the Constitution. The condition of the country is worrisome. They promised two crore jobs and bringing back black money stashed in foreign banks. None of it happened. Unemployment is at an all time high, while GST has ruined people," he claimed.

Gehlot hailed Digvijaya Singh and said the latter had won in 1977 (in the assembly polls from Raghogarh) when there was a wave against the Congress and even Indira Gandhi had lost polls.