Nirmala Sitharaman's comment "huge assumption" on electoral bonds prompts a response from Congress

Ramesh emphasised that if Sitharaman's assertions are baseless, releasing comprehensive data would put an end to the ongoing debate.

Digital Desk: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's recent dismissal of any correlation between raids by central probe agencies on companies and their subsequent donations to electoral bonds has drawn a sharp response from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. Ramesh took to social media, urging Sitharaman to disclose the complete data about electoral bonds, including the identities of donors and the political parties benefiting from these donations.

Ramesh emphasised that if Sitharaman's assertions are baseless, releasing comprehensive data would put an end to the ongoing debate. He labelled the controversy surrounding electoral bonds as a "scam" and criticised the Enforcement Directorate's raids on various organisations and political figures.

He said on ‘X’, “The Finance Minister says that the link between the ED/CBI/IT raids on firms and their subsequent donations to the BJP are based on “assumptions.” If these “assumptions” are untrue, then we invite her to release the full data of who donated how much to which political party. It will put an end to the discussion once and for all.”

Highlighting Sitharaman's dual roles overseeing the State Bank of India, which administers the electoral bond scheme, and the Enforcement Directorate, responsible for enforcing government initiatives, Ramesh underscored the seriousness of the issue.

Sitharaman, during an interview with India Today, rejected claims linking the raids to subsequent donations, dismissing them as "huge assumptions." The Election Commission of India recently released electoral bond data, revealing Future Gaming and Hotel Services as the top purchasers. This disclosure follows a directive from the Supreme Court instructing the State Bank of India to unveil details of electoral bonds.