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The Congress party has demanded the resignation of India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman following the filing of a First Information Report (FIR) against her by Bengaluru police. The FIR alleges that Sitharaman was involved in extortion and criminal conspiracy through the now-scrapped electoral bond scheme, a system that allowed anonymous donations to political parties. This latest development comes amidst a long-standing controversy surrounding the electoral bond scheme, which critics have argued was designed to facilitate opaque and potentially illegal funding of political parties.
The FIR, which was lodged following a court order, names Sitharaman, unnamed Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers, and BJP office-bearers at both state and national levels. The complaint, filed by Adarsh R Iyer, co-president of Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath, alleges that companies like Sterlite and Vedanta were subjected to ED raids and subsequently forced to buy electoral bonds worth Rs 230.15 crore. The Congress party has characterized the scheme as an 'extortion BJP scheme' and has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the allegations.
Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jairam Ramesh have emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in political funding. They have accused the BJP of undermining democracy through its use of the electoral bond scheme. Ramesh further stated that the finance minister should resign on moral, political, and judicial grounds, as the CBI and ED, which are directly linked to the finance ministry, are likely to be involved in the investigation. The Congress has maintained that it had no involvement in the filing of the FIR.