‘Sources of money for electoral bonds have dangerous implications on nation’

CPI(M)’s general secretary Sitaram Yechury says BJP’s tricks of deflecting from real issues of common man will work for one or two polls, but not permanently; he adds that there is no scope for the BJP to gain much in southern States and in the States of

he expose on electoral bonds tarnished the ‘clean image’ of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and now the nation was asking questions about what was happening to ₹10,000 crore in PMCares, said Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary, Sitaram Yechury.

Talking to The Hindu on Saturday, Mr. Yechury said that the scam involving electoral bonds had percolated down to the masses and it would reflect in the way they voted in the Lok Sabha election.

The evidence was coming out every day, revealing

Tthat electoral bonds were designed for extortion by using Central agencies, for quid pro quo deals and money laundering. “Those who paid money were given contracts... firms which had shown losses in their balance sheet have bought thousands of crores worth bonds,” he said.

Raising doubts about the sources of such money, he wondered if it could be international money or illegal funding or made through drug trade. “It will have dangerous implications on the country. Why is the Enforcement Directorate not taking suo motu [congnisance], invoking the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in this case,” he asked.

On the BJP’s claims of winning 370plus seats in the Parliamentary election, Mr. Yechury said, “BJP had already peaked in all North Indian States in the last election. From where could they increase their seats to reach the figures they are boasting of,” he asked. He said there was no scope for the party to gain much in southern States and in the States of West Bengal and Odisha.

He demanded that Election Commission make minor changes in the order of connectivity given in EVMs. Instead of ballot units be connected to VVPATs and then to the control unit, the ballot units should be connected first to control units and then the

VVPAT. The voter will be satisfied that the vote cast through the ballot unit is registered correctly in the control unit and it is confirmed as shown by the VVPAT slips.

Election Commission can make this simple change suo motu without any legal intervention, but it is not doing it. “This along with the assertion [of BJP] of winning 400plus seats raises the doubt [over the genuineness of EVMs],” he said.

Observing that unemployment in the country was at an alltime high, inflation continued unabated and household savings were at the lowest level, Mr. Yechury said that these factors only pointed to people resorting to borrowings to survive.

When asked whether BJP could deflect the thought process of the people from the real poll issues, Mr. Yechury said it may work for one or two polls, but it will not work permanently. “People have to live [survive] for the emotional narrative [of the BJP] to sustain,” he said.

When questioned about the continuation of the DMKled alliance in Tamil Nadu for years together, Mr. Yechury said that it was to keep the communal forces away. “Southern States are miles ahead of any BJPruled States. People do not want to lose it and we are only facilitating them (with the continued alliance)”.

Those who paid money were given contracts... firms which had shown losses in their balance sheet have bought thousands of crores worth bonds

CPI(M) general secretary