MANGALURU: Actor Prakash Raj on Monday alleged that the BJP was receiving huge donations from corporate companies and businessmen that were under the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department (I-T Dept). He alleged that giving contracts to the companies who have given donations to the party is the biggest scam in the world and added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah owe an explanation to the people of the country.
Speaking to mediapersons in Mangaluru, he asked why the Centre had kept the electoral bonds data a secret all these days. "Isn't it a loot? PM Should open up on this in Mann Ki Baat," he said.
Referring to Amit Shah's statement that the amount the opposition parties received was disproportionate to their Lok Sabha seats compared to the Rs 6,000 crore the BJP got via electoral bonds, Raj remarked that just because a robber belongs to a bigger gang and gets a small share in the booty, he can't plead for lesser punishment.
Stating that the DMK has accepted that it received funds from a firm that wanted to launch lottery tickets in Tamil Nadu, the actor asked why the BJP is not making public about its donations. "Now it's coming out... You have collected (money) after raids," he said.
Further, Prakash Raj asked why the BJP needed funds for elections. "Are you purchasing MLAs, MPs with this money and bribing voters? Shouldn't we question it? You talk of everything in Mann Ki Baat but not about this," he stated.
"As citizens, we need to know who has given money to the political parties. After taking money, you are giving contracts...which is people's money. You are taking money in a different form. This is the biggest scam in the world," he charged.
Further, he asked whether it was okay for the BJP if thieves funded their party. "You issue notices through the ED for all. Why should you (BJP) not be raided now? Are you not selling the country? Don't you know that it is ill-gotten money?," he asked.
Raj said that it was now clear who the 'Modi Pariwar' was. "People running lottery, pharma companies, Ambanis and Adanis are your Pariwar," he alleged. He said the BJP will further be exposed if funds received under PM Care is made public.
To a query, the actor said he will not contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections or campaign for any political party but will continue to question the ruling party as a citizen of the country. He advised people to vote for the candidate and not the party.
When asked about some pre-poll surveys giving a majority to the BJP in the Lok Sabha election, he said, "it is all a business."
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court in a third tongue-lashing to the State Bank of India, told it to stop being "selective" and make "complete disclosure" of all details related to the electoral bonds scheme by March 21.
In a landmark verdict, a five-judge constitution bench had done away with the scheme, calling it "unconstitutional", and ordered disclosure by the Election Commission of donors, the amount donated by them and the recipients by March 13.
Top purchaser of electoral bonds Future Gaming and Hotel Services donated Rs 509 crore to Tamil Nadu's ruling party DMK through the now-scrapped payment mode, the Election Commission's (EC) data showed on Sunday.
The donations given by Future Gaming, whose owner, "lottery king" Santiago Martin, has been under the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) scanner, accounted for more than 77 per cent of the total receipts from electoral bonds of Rs 656.5 crore disclosed by the DMK.
Since most political parties have not disclosed the names of the donors, it was not known who were the beneficiaries of the balance Rs 859 crore worth bonds purchased by Future Gaming.
The disclosure is part of the data dump pertaining to a total of 523 recognised and non-recognised political parties made public by the EC on the Supreme Court's orders.
Public disclosure by ECI of the data relating to electoral bonds as returned by the Supreme Court registry can be found HERE
(With Online Desk inputs)
