Only 37% of donations by ED-probed entities went to BJP: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose government has been at the receiving end of Opposition taunts over Electoral Bonds, has said that the Supreme Court’s recent decision to scrap the scheme will be regretted by everyone when reflected upon in the future.

Addressing the controversy around the scheme in an exclusive interview with ANI, released on Monday (April 15), Modi said while his government had introduced the scheme to counter the use of black money in elections, it never claimed that the same was a perfect fix to the problem.

‘SC decision will be regretted’

He claimed that the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the scheme will now make the country more vulnerable to black money.

“The concern I have is that I never say that there are no deficiencies in decision-making. In decision-making, we learn and improve. It is very possible to improve on this front too. But today we have completely pushed the country towards black money. That is why I say everyone will regret it. When they think honestly later, everyone will regret it,” Modi said.

Modi said, contrary to criticisms, the scheme, in fact, helped find the money trail in political funding.

“If there were no Electoral Bonds, who would have had the power to find out where the money came from and where it went? This is the success story of Electoral Bonds that there were Electoral Bonds that is why you are getting a trail of money,” he said.

‘BJP received 37% of donations from firms facing probe, Oppn got the rest’

The Congress has dubbed the scheme as an “extortion” racket, accusing the Centre of forcing companies to give donations following raids by central agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Rubbishing the allegations, Modi said firms facing probe have also donated to opposition parties.

Modi said while over 3,000 companies donated through Electoral Bonds, of them 26 are facing probe by investigating agencies.

He said while 16 of the 26 firms bought Electoral Bonds after facing raids, only 37 per cent of the donations came to the BJP and the rest 63 went to the Opposition.

The Supreme Court scrapped the Electoral Bonds scheme in February this year, calling it “unconstitutional”. The scheme was introduced by the Modi government in 2017.

Only 3% of ED cases against politicians: Modi

Modi also dismissed allegations that the Centre was misusing central agencies to settle scores with political opponents, the recent arrests of Delhi Chief Arvind Kejriwal, BRS leader K Kavitha and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren being cases in point.

He said only three per cent of cases filed by the ED are against politicians while the rest 97 per cent are against entities who have no link to politics.

“How many opposition leaders are in jail? No one tells me. And is this the same opposition leader... who used to run their government? Paap ka dar hai (there is fear of sin). What fear does an honest person have? They had put my home minister in jail when I was chief minister,” he said.

“The country should understand that political leaders are involved in only three per cent of the ED cases while 97 per cent of cases are registered against the ones who do not belong to politics,” he added.

He said the 97 per cent include drug mafia and officers arrested in graft cases.

Praises ED, says it recovered ₹2,200Cr in past 10 years

The prime minister praised the ED for its ‘proactive’ role in handling corruption in the country since his government came to power in 2014.

“Before 2014, the ED attached only assets worth ₹5,000 crore. Did anyone stop ED from taking action and who were getting benefited? In my tenure, assets worth ₹1 lakh crore has been attached. Is this not the money of the people of the country?” he said.

He said the agency over the past decade has made an impressive recovery of ₹2,200 crore.

“In the last 10 years, we have recovered ₹2,200 crore in cash, while ED before 2014 could only recover ₹34 lakh cash which can be carried in a school bag. On the other hand, 70 small trucks will be needed to keep ₹2,200 crore. It means that the ED is doing a good job,” he added.

Ruing that corruption has destroyed the country, Modi said it needs to be controlled with an iron fist.

“They (ED) have held people and seized cash as well and I am convinced that corruption has destroyed the country. We should fight against corruption with our full strength. And this is my personal conviction,” he said.