Sun Sep 29 22:10:49 UTC 2024: ## Congress Demands Sitharaman’s Resignation, SC-Monitored SIT Probe into Electoral Bonds Scheme Allegations

**New Delhi:** The Congress party on Sunday demanded the resignation of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into allegations of extortion and criminal conspiracy through the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme.

The demand came after Bengaluru police filed an FIR against Sitharaman, unnamed Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers, and BJP officials in the state and at the national level.

Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, addressing a press conference, stated that the FIR “unveiled the true nature of the BJP,” calling the electoral bonds scheme an “extortion BJP scheme.” He emphasized the need for a level playing field in elections and accused the scheme of undermining the Constitution.

Congress MP and communication-in-charge Jairam Ramesh highlighted four patterns of “blatant corruption” in the scheme: prepaid bribes, postpaid bribes, extortion, and the use of shell companies. He further stated that the finance minister should resign on moral, political, and judicial grounds, given her position as the accused number one.

The complaint filed by Adarsh R Iyer, co-president of Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath, alleged that companies like Sterlite and Vedanta were subjected to ED raids and forced to buy electoral bonds worth Rs 230.15 crore between 2019 and 2023.

The Congress party has maintained that they had no involvement in the FIR and that the BJP should face accountability for their alleged actions. The demand for Sitharaman’s resignation and an SIT probe marks a significant escalation in the political drama surrounding the electoral bonds scheme.

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