Case registered against N Sitharaman over poll bonds extortion allegation

 A Special Court in Bengaluru has ordered a case to be registered against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others over allegations of extortion related to the now-defunct electoral bonds scheme. The complaint, filed by Adarsh Iyer of the Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSP), accuses Ms. Sitharaman and several BJP leaders of running an extortion racket under the pretext of electoral bonds.

The First Information Report (FIR) filed at Tilaknagar Police Station names Ms. Sitharaman, BJP President JP Nadda, former BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel, current state chief BY Vijayendra, and unnamed Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials. The charges include extortion and criminal conspiracy.

According to the complaint, corporate entities were allegedly coerced into buying electoral bonds worth thousands of crores, with the ED conducting raids as a form of pressure. The funds from these bonds were reportedly cashed by BJP leaders at both national and state levels, facilitating the accumulation of illicit political funds.

The BJP has come to Ms. Sitharaman's defense, arguing that the allegations are politically motivated and asserting that the issue of electoral bonds is a policy matter rather than a criminal one. The party also criticized Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, highlighting his ongoing legal troubles in the MUDA case.

BJP spokesperson Dr. Sudha Halkai remarked, "Mr. Siddaramaiah is a habitual offender when it comes to cooperating with investigation agencies. There were 106 cases against Congress leaders, and among those, 64 were directly related to Mr. Siddaramaiah during his previous tenure as Chief Minister of Karnataka."

In response, Mr. Siddaramaiah questioned why leaders like Ms. Sitharaman and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is also under a corruption probe, are not being asked to resign. He suggested that if he is expected to step down, the same standards should apply to Ms. Sitharaman and other BJP leaders facing FIRs.

The Lokayukta police have registered an FIR against Mr. Siddaramaiah, his wife, and other family members over the alleged illegal allotment of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) sites.