Muraleedharan slams Cong for row on electoral bonds

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan on Saturday accused Congress of creating controversy in Parliament over electoral bonds, which was introduced to bring greater transparency into system of electoral funding.

Slamming opposition, minister alleged that during UPA rule, Congress h collected crores of rupees as election funds in form of black and white money from big industries.

w a transparent system has been put in place for electoral funding...after holding discussions with Election Commission and bringing changes into it on basis of suggestions of Commission and Reserve Bank of India, Muraleedharan said.

electoral funding system is transparent today. But Congress is trying to create controversy over issue," minister said, participating in a debate as chief guest while launching book 'Amit Shah and March of BJP' in Kerala.

He said efforts to create smokescreen over issue would meet fate of Rafale allegations which were proved wrong in scrutiny of Supreme Court.

"y ( Congress) are raising allegations on some issues but y have connection with reality," minister said.

A row has erupted over use of electoral bonds for donations to political parties, with Congress terming m a "threat to democracy" because of anymity about dors and donees.

BJP, on or hand, has asserted that se bonds have curbed black money and ushered in honest and tax- paid money in political funding.

Speaking about book authored by Anirban Ganguly and Sivanand Dwivedi, Muraleedharan mentioned chemistry between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah that contributed to BJPs surge in electoral politics.

Referring to political attack on Modi and Shah by opposition parties over various issues, including RCEP, Muraleedharan alleged that two top BJP leers h been "facing all sorts of slandering and facing m, y have moved forward."

Muraleedharan, who is also minister of State for External Affairs, defended decision to opt-out of contentious Regional Comprehensive Ecomic Partnership (RCEP), saying it would t have been in interest of common man of country.

He said this was done for protecting interest of millions of farmers in country.

declared policy of party and government was to serve interest of country's common man, minister ded.