"Clear-cut case of extortion": Complainant Iyer attacks FM Nirmala Sitharaman over alleged electoral bond scam

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 29 : After the Bengaluru Court ordered to file an FIR against Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others, complainant Adarsh Iyer of Janadhikar Sangharsh Parishad (JSP) on Saturday alleged that by misusing the powers they made the companies pay huge amounts of money--like 'extortion'.
Iyer alleged that there are several accused in the case, including the finance minister, officials of the Directorate of Enforcement of Delhi, office bearers of the BJP, state BJP ex-president Nalin Kumar Kateel, and the current BJP state chief, BY Vijayendra.
"As we all know, the Supreme Court had given a fantastic order on electoral bond where it has ordered the SBI to reveal entire data. After that, many media studied and made reports that there was a clear-cut case of extortion, we went ahead and found out that it was a corruption case," he told ANI.
"We filed a complaint. The complaint says that by misusing the power that they have over the ED officials and I-T officials, they have made the companies pay huge amounts of money--like extortion... After 5 months, we have gotten this fantastic judgement, and we are happy," Iyer added.
Iyer further informed that the court has ordered an investigation under CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) section 153.
"The Court has ordered an investigation under CrPC Section 153. Nirmala Sitharaman is accused number 1, ED officials of Delhi are the second, office bearers of the BJP at the national level are third, the fourth one is the state BJP ex-president and the fifth one is current BJP state chief BY Vijayendra," he said.
Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh termed the court's order a very serious development and said that the responsibility must be taken by the union finance minister and also the prime minister.
"This is a very serious development because the Court has ordered an FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman over the poll bond extortion allegation. We have been saying from day one that the central government is misusing the central agencies... The responsibility must be taken by the union finance minister and also the PM," the TMC leader said.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called for the resignation of Nirmala Sitharaman following a Bengaluru Court order to file an FIR against the Union Minister and other leaders for allegedly extorting money through the now scrapped electoral bonds.
While addressing a press conference on Friday, Siddaramaiah called out the Karnataka BJP and questioned when they would start protesting against Sitharaman and ask for her resignation in connection with the alleged "scam."
He further called for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi if there was any impartial investigation done into the matter, as well as the resignation of Union Minister and BJP leader HD Kumaraswamy.
"Addressing a press conference after the Mysore district progress review meeting yesterday. 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," he said in a post in X.
Earlier on Friday, a Bengaluru court had ordered the filing of an FIR against Nirmala Sitharaman and others for allegedly extorting money through electoral bonds.
This came in the wake of a petition filed by Adarsh Iyer to the Special Court of People's Representatives seeking a direction to take action against the Union Minister.
Following the hearing, the court ordered the Tilak Nagar police station in Bengaluru to register an FIR for the crime of extortion through electoral bonds against the Minister.