Congress Seeks Nirmala Sitharaman's Resignation After Case Filed Against Her In Karnataka

The Congress party on Sunday called for the resignation of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after a special court in Karnataka ordered a case to be filed against her and others regarding the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme.

At a press conference, senior Congress leaders Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jairam Ramesh reiterated their demand for a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the entire electoral bond scheme through a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Singhvi and Ramesh alleged that four methods were used to extort money through what they described as "pre-paid bribery," "post-paid bribery," "post-raid bribery," and via "shell companies."

Ramesh stated that the Finance Minister should "immediately resign" as she was "guilty" politically, legally, and morally.

Without naming individuals, Singhvi hinted that Sitharaman had not acted alone, suggesting that the orders "came from only one place" and adding, "we know who has done it on whose instructions it has been done."

He said that the core issue at stake was the need for a level playing field in elections, stating, "The larger issue is the level playing field, which is necessary for free and fair polls, which in turn is critical for democracy. This is an attack on our democratic system."

The case was registered on Saturday following a complaint by Adarsh R. Iyer, co-president of Janadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath, who alleged that the accused "committed extortion under the guise and garb of electoral bonds" and benefited by over Rs 8,000 crore.

Also named in the FIR are BJP Karnataka chief BY Vijayendra, party leader Nalin Kumar Kateel, and officers from the Enforcement Directorate.