Bengaluru court orders FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman for ‘extorting money’

A Bengaluru court had ordered the filing of an FIR against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for ‘extorting money’ through electoral bonds. The development came in the wake of a petition filed Adarsh Iyer of Janadhikar Sangharsh Parishad before a special court.
According to an NDTV report, the complaint also named fellow union minister JP Nadda and two senior Karnataka BJP leaders — Naleen Kumar Kateel and BY Vijayendra. Party leaders have since distanced themselves from the allegations and mounted a strong defense for Sitharaman. The ruling party insists that electoral bonds are a ‘policy matter’ and that the charges are politically motivated.
The complaint accuses Sitharaman and others of involvement in the accumulation of illicit funds for political reasons via the electoral bond scheme. Corporate entities were allegedly coerced into purchasing bonds with thousands of crores with Enforcement Directorate raids being used as a ‘pressure tactic’. These electoral bonds, the complaint adds, were then cashed by BJP leaders at the state and national level.
The court has since ordered the Tilak Nagar police station in Bengaluru to register an FIR for the crime of extortion through electoral bonds.
The development also prompted a war of words between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and senior BJP leaders on Saturday. The senior Congress leader is facing calls for resignation after the Lokayukta Police filed an FIR against him in connection with the alleged MUDA land allotment ‘scam’ on Friday.
“The Court of People’s Representatives has issued an order to file an FIR against Union Minister Nirmala Sitharamana in connection with the electoral bond scam. When will the leaders protest and march for her resignation, Karnataka BJP? If there is an impartial investigation into this case, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also have to resign. Let Kumaraswamy, who is on bail, also resign,” the CM wrote on X.
“I have not seen that, but I can only say that this (electoral bond) was done as per law according to the law passed by the parliament…This was done as per the law. What order they have given, let us study… But I can tell you that this is incomparable to Siddharamaiah’s case,” countered Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.
(With inputs from agencies)