The Congress on Friday launched a scathing attack at the BJP-led government over electoral bonds, calling it a scheme of the ruling dispensation that converts “black money into white”.

The statement of the Congress came days after the Association for Democratic Reforms report, which claimed that the BJP received electoral bonds worth Rs 5,271.9751 crore from FY 2016–17 to FY 2021–22. The amount received by the ruling party is over 52 per cent of its total donations.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Congress Media and Publicity Department chairman Pawan Khera said, “BJP unleashed the electoral bonds scheme to legitimise its loot through ‘crony capitalism’. Destroying democracy, discarding transparency, and demolishing electoral practises is the sole objective of the (Narendra) Modi government.”

Referring to the amount received by the BJP as claimed in the ADR report, Khera said, “This effectively implies that the Modi government’s controversial, corrupt, and contrived electoral bonds scheme is a ‘money whitening’ scheme that converts ‘black money’ to white.”

It is a perfect way of legitimate, state-sponsored rent-seeking and corruption, he asserted.

“The Congress in 2019 Lok Sabha manifesto and the 85th Plenary Session in Raipur had promised to scrap the opaque electoral bond scheme that is designed to favour the ruling party. Instead, we have promised to set up a ‘National Election Fund’ to which any person may contribute,” Khera said.

He added, “Funds will be allocated at the time of elections to recognised political parties in accordance with criteria laid down by law. We believe that the electoral bond scheme results in the financial monopoly of the ruling party.”

“Congress wants a transparent system of electoral funding. We will keep on exposing the corporate money greed of the Modi government and the BJP,” Khera said.