Congress alleges quid-pro-quo between BJP and corporate donors; demands 'White Paper' on party's finances

In a letter addressed to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday, the Congress party has raised alarming allegations regarding the alleged quid-pro-quo between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and various corporate donors. The letter, signed by MP and General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, calls for an investigation into the relationship between the ruling party and companies facing actions from central investigative agencies.

The Congress points to a detailed investigative report published in couple of online publications, which sheds light on the timing of alleged donations from certain firms to the BJP. The reports allege a correlation between companies facing actions by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department (IT), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and others, and their subsequent donations to the ruling party.

The letter outlines several key allegations that demand scrutiny:

1. At least 30 companies, which donated a total of nearly Rs 335 crore to the BJP between financial years 2018-19 and 2022-23, also faced action by central agencies during that period.

2. Of these firms, 23 companies, which gave a total of Rs 187.58 crore to the party during this period, had never donated any amount to the BJP between 2014 and the year of the raid.

3. At least four of these companies donated a total of Rs 9.05 crore within four months of the central agency visit.

4. At least six of these firms, which were already donors to the BJP, handed out a heftier amount in the months following the searches.

5. Six other firms, which had donated to the BJP each year before, faced central action after they skipped donations in one financial year.

6. At least three BJP donors, who are not part of the list of 30, had been accused of receiving undue favours from the Modi government.

In the letter, Congress expresses concerns about the independence, autonomy, and professionalism of central investigative agencies, with two out of three falling under the jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry. The letter suggests a pattern of alleged legal extortion through donations to the ruling party by exerting pressure on these agencies.

"The above instances seem to be a clear-cut case of legal extortion in the form of donations to the ruling party, by exerting pressure on investigative agencies. Certainly, these are not the only cases where such modus operandi of alleged extortion has taken place. This looks like the tip of the iceberg," it read.

"We are nowhere alleging that the cases filed, or the action taken by the investigating agencies are illegal, but it does warrant an investigation, on why these “dubious” firms who have ED cases against them are donating to the ruling party – BJP, despite ED investigation against them. Is it a mere coincidence that they are donating to the BJP, after ED action?" it further stated.

Moreover, the letter challenges the government's narrative of transparency and integrity, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's slogan of "Na Khaunga, Na Khane Dunga" juxtaposed with the alleged practices of coercion and manipulation to fill BJP coffers. "It practices “Zabardasti Chanda Jama Karunga!" the letter claimed.

The Congress party further questions the legitimacy of the Electoral Bonds scheme, recently deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, as part of the broader narrative of electoral malpractice and financial impropriety.

The letter poses three crucial questions to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman:

1. Would you come up with a “White Paper” on BJP’s finances, not just the sources, but how you coerced corporate firms to donate, by misusing investigative agencies against them?

2. If you have nothing to hide, then are you willing to present a point-by-point rebuttal on the ‘Chronology’ of events which led to the filling of BJP’s treasury?

3. If you are unwilling to come up with a factual explanation, then are you willing to present yourself for a Supreme Court monitored investigation in these dubious deals to loot donation for the BJP?

Claiming that the BJP is 'destroying democracy', the Congress letter added, "The nation is witnessing how you are destroying Democracy by giving Income Tax notices to the Indian National Congress on frivolous charges and coercing nationalized banks under the Finance Ministry, to extort money from us. All this money has come through small donations by the people of India. This is nothing but a conspiracy to destroy a level playing field in a Democracy, just on the eve of elections."

"Shri Narendra Modi often refers to our country as “Mother of Democracy”. Is extortion and blackmail to force fund the ruling party by weakening autonomous investigative agencies, part of “Mother of Democracy”? Does looting the donation of the principal opposition party, through trivial Income Tax notices, part of “Mother of Democracy”?" the party further stated.

"We are going to the courts of law and to the court of people. We will defeat you on both sides," the Congress letter concluded.