New Delhi, Nov 21 (UNI) Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday lashed out the principal opposition party Congress and said those political parties that are opposed to electoral bonds are happily accepting donations through them.
The issue of electoral bonds figured in Parliament where Congress attacked the government over the issue of the 'misuse' of electoral bonds scheme and staged a walkout in the Lok Sabha during the Zero Hour.
Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters here, Mr Goyal said today the electoral bond scheme was being criticised by the people who flourished under an opaque, unaccountable system where black money ruled.
'Notably those political parties that are opposed to electoral bonds are happily accepting donations through them. This opposition is the handiwork of the alliance of the defeated and dejected,' he said.He mentioned that for the first time in the country, a Government has taken a decisive step which promotes electoral funding.
Mr Goyal spoke about how electoral bonds have brought transparency and accountability to the system.
'It is unique that those who are themselves immersed in corruption are opposing it the most. There have been cases earlier of Prime Ministers allegedly accepting suitcases of cash, of various scams including Bofors, Jeep, 2G, Coalgate etc. In all of these it is the Congress party which has been involved. It is natural that they will oppose a system which is cleaning the electoral process from the curse of black money,' he said.
Mr Goyal spoke about how even Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee had amended IT Act and donations were treated as expenditure. 'This had encouraged white money in the economy and political system. In line with the same, the Government under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reduced cash donation limit to Rs 2,000 in Budget 2017-18 from the earlier limit of Rs 20,000.
Electoral Bonds is in the same trajectory of electoral reforms to bring transparency and remove black money from the system,' he said.
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