Mandya: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has reignited the debate on electoral bonds, referencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visible hand tremor during a recent interview.
His remarks have further intensified questions about the integrity and transparency of India's electoral bond system.
Addressing an election rally here on Wednesday, Rahul urged the public to watch Modi's hour-long interview, where the Prime Minister discussed electoral bonds and sought to clarify the government's stance on the controversial funding mechanism.
"Just do one thing. Go to Google and see the interview, you will notice that his hands are trembling because the electoral bond is the biggest ever corruption in India," he asserted.
The former Congress President further escalated the controversy, likening it to street-level extortion practices commonly known as 'Hafta Bazi'. He alleged that the electoral bonds are "the biggest ever extortion scam of the world."
"On the street, it is known as extortion and 'Hafta Bazi'. Usually, these works are done by petty goons who bully and extort money. Electoral bonds are the biggest ever extortion scam in the world. That was the reason that the Prime Minister's hands were shaking while explaining it," the senior Congress leader claimed.
Gandhi framed the upcoming Lok Sabha election as a battle between two contrasting ideologies. He portrayed the INDIA bloc, including the Congress party, as champions of the Constitution and democracy, while accusing the BJP of seeking to abolish these foundational principles.
Highlighting his party's manifesto for the polls, Rahul promised that an INDIA bloc government would prioritise the needs and interests of ordinary citizens, farmers, labourers, and traders, contrasting it with what he described as a BJP government catering to a select group of wealthy individuals.
This visit marks Wayanad MP's first appearance in Congress-governed Karnataka since the election schedule was announced a month ago.
In Mandya, the Congress is locked in a direct contest with JDS, an ally of the BJP. The battle is primarily between JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy and Congress party's Venkataramane Gowda, popularly known as 'Star Chandru'.
The electoral landscape in Mandya promises to be fiercely competitive as the political rhetoric heats up ahead of the election.
