Patna:

After a purported video showed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) workers hurling abuses at Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan’s mother Veena Paswan during an election rally, the LJP leader wrote to former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav seeking immediate action in the matter.

In his letter, Mr Paswan said that the particular action has refreshed the memories of Jungle Raj as during that time it was difficult for mothers and daughters to leave their homes.

“I never understood any difference between Rabri Devi ji and my mother. In such a situation, I did not expect this from you. I agree that political parties may have different views, and there may be differences of opinions but it is not appropriate to have animosity. Such foul language about one’s mother is beyond imagination for me,” he said.

“This action by your party’s supporters has refreshed the memories of Jungle Raj of the 90s. In those times, it was difficult for mothers and daughters to leave their homes. Women were humiliated and tortured. Today after this incident, you cannot even imagine how painful it is for me as a son to hear such words about my mother. I want you to give a strong message to your party workers and supporters so that in the future such language cannot be used not only for me but for any mother and sister living in Bihar,” the LJP chief added.

“I hope that you will take immediate action against those who insulted my mother,” Chirag Paswan said in the letter to Tejashwi Yadav.

Condemning the incident, RJD leader Misa Bharti questioned Chirag Paswan for his silence when Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary made a derogatory remark against Lalu Prasad Yadav.

“It is condemnable, derogatory language should not be used against women belonging to any party but I want to ask Chirag Paswan why was he quiet when Samrat Choudhary made such a derogatory remark against my sister and father?” she said.

Bihar BJP women’s delegation had filed a complaint to the Election Commission in connection with the incident.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Twelve of the 20 new companies which bought electoral bonds were from Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit: Akash Dhage/Unsplash

Despite companies in existence for less than three years not being allowed to make political contributions — even through the electoral bonds route — data shows that at least 20 such newly incorporated firms purchased poll bonds worth about ₹103 crore (Table 1).

At the time when they purchased their first electoral bonds, five of these firms were in existence for less than a year, seven of them were a year old and the eight others had only completed two years. Notably, many of these firms were started in 2019 when the Indian economy went through recession or during the middle of the pandemic and bought electoral bonds worth crores of rupees just months after incorporation.

Also read: Electoral bonds data | Full list of donors and recipient political parties

The ban on companies making political contributions within three years from incorporation has been in existence for nearly four decades. In 1985, the Parliament amended Section 293A, lifting the ban on political contributions by firms subject to a few conditions. One of the conditions was that the firms should not be owned by the government and should not be less than three years old. This clause was retained under Section 182 of the Companies Act, 2013. When Section 154 of the Finance Act, 2017, amended Section 182, just before the introduction of electoral bonds, this clause was again retained. However, the amendment deleted the first proviso by which the amount donated by a company was capped at 7.5% of its average net profit during its previous three financial years. The prohibition on companies making donations to political parties in their first three years continued. According to Section 182 of the Companies Act 2013, if a firm makes a donation in contravention to the provisions, “the company shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five times the amount so contributed and every officer of the company who is in default shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and with fine which may extend to five times the amount so contributed”.

Table 1 | The table shows the names of the 20 firms which purchased the electoral bonds (EBs), within three years of their incorporation. The date of incorporation of these companies, the date on which they purchased their first poll bond, the difference between the two dates along with the total worth of bonds purchased by these firms is mentioned in the table. 

Table appears incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

Also read: Electoral bonds data | 55 firms’ purchase exceeded 7.5% cap in 2022-24, lion’s share went to BJP

12 of these 20 companies were headquartered in Hyderabad (Table 2). Together these 12 companies donated ₹37.5 crores, and close to 75% of which was encashed by the BRS, with the rest divided among the TDP, the Congress and the BJP. Two companies in Hyderabad — Tsharks Infra Developers Private Limited and Tsharks Overseas Education Consultancy Private Limited — both incorporated in 2023 — purchased ₹7.5 crore worth of bonds within months of getting incorporated and donated it to the BRS. Among the rest, HH Iron and Steel Private Limited, headquartered in Coimbatore, gave ₹15 crores to the BJP and five crores to the BJD. Their first electoral bond purchase was done just days short of turning three years old. Askus Logistics Private Limited, incorporated in November 2021, bought its first electoral bond within 1.5 years of its incorporation and donated ₹22 crores. This was encashed by the DMK, AITC and the RJD. Besseggen Infotech LLP, incorporated in May 2018, bought bonds worth ₹11.5 crores, with their first purchase done two years and ten months into their existence.

Table 2 | The table shows the city-wise split of the 20 companies.

Table 3 | The table shows the party-wise split of the encashments of the EBs purchased by the 20 companies.

Electoral bonds data | New firms bought crores of electoral bonds within months of formation

The three-year rule was retained to prevent shell companies from making political contributions. When the first proviso, which prescribed the 7.5% cap, was removed in 2017, the Election Commission of India had warned that this may lead to the use of “black money through shell companies”. The RBI had also flagged the possibility of firms misusing bearer bonds for money laundering.

The list of 20 firms is not exhaustive as it does not include the firms which were newly incorporated after mergers and amalgamations. The list also does not include firms that are not in the MCA

With inputs from Rebecca Rose Varghese

Watch our Data video:Electoral bonds banned: Which party benefitted the most while it existed?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a frontal attack on the Congress-RJD combine in Bihar, claiming that the opposition alliance had used its championing of the deprived sections as a “shield, to justify” corruption and dynastic politics.

The Prime Minister, who set foot on Bihar’s soil after more than a year and a half, addressed back-to-back rallies in Aurangabad and Begusarai districts, where he also launched development projects worth more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

“Such functions were earlier held at select places like the Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi. We have brought Delhi to Begusarai. Projects have been launched for the entire country of which Rs 30,000 crore will be spent on Bihar alone”, said Prime Minister Modi.

He said, “Had it been the governments of the past, such works would have never seen the light of the day. Bihar knows well the price people pay for politics of vote bank politics”.

Without naming RJD president Lalu Prasad, who was the railway minister in the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, Prime Minister Modi said, “The people of Bihar know-how resources belonging to the railways were looted, how job aspirants were made to part with their land”.

The allusion was to the land for jobs scam, which is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate, and in which Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and daughter Misa Bharti, among others, have been named.

Prime Minister Modi expressed happiness over the NDA’s return to power in Bihar, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar returning to the BJP-led coalition, and said the state “is back on the path to progress, with a double engine government. We must never allow the return of the days of the past when people lived in fear”.

He also said, “The Congress-RJD combine has always used Dalits and other deprived sections of the society as a shield, to justify their corruption and dynastic rule. It is a betrayal of social justice”.

Prime Minister Modi said overall progress ensured by his government at the Centre and the one headed by Nitish Kumar in the state “exemplify true social justice, as envisioned by Karpoori Thakur”.

Notably, Thakur, an OBC stalwart and former chief minister of Bihar, was recently given the Bharat Ratna.

Prime Minister Modi added: “The NDA has pushed to the margins those who were responsible for lawlessness in Bihar and deprived the state of development”.

Speaking just a few weeks ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha polls, the prime minister exuded confidence that the NDA would win the elections hands down.

He said, “The nation is chanting ‘abki baar phir se NDA sarkaar’ (NDA government once again), abki baar 400 paar (400 plus seats for the NDA this time)”.

Mocking the opposition parties, Prime Minister Modi said, “They had leaders who seem to be afraid of contesting the Lok Sabha polls. They want to enter Parliament through Rajya Sabha”.

Although the PM did not mention any opposition leader by name, the remark comes in the backdrop of former Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi getting elected to the Rajya Sabha, giving up the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat she had been holding for several terms.

The Prime Minister, whose recently coined slogan “Modi ki guarantee” is fast gaining currency, said, “The people of the country believe that when Modi gives a guarantee, it is in itself the guarantee that the promise will be fulfilled”.

“Modi ki guarantee stands for development, rule of law and safety and security for our daughters and sisters. We have worked to this end and will continue to do so in our third term,” asserted the PM.

The charismatic leader tried to strike a chord with people in Begusarai and Aurangabad, by breaking into local dialects Angika and Magahi, respectively, from time to time, and paying obeisance to shrines these places were known for.

In Aurangabad, he enthralled the local populace by paying tributes to Anugrah Narayan Singh, a Congress leader with roots in that district, who was the state’s first Deputy Chief Minister and ranked among the tallest political figures of his generation.

Prime Minister Modi also referred to Bihar’s association with Goddess Sita, who was believed to have been discovered in Sitamarhi district by King Janaka. He said, “It was no surprise that people of the state displayed the greatest enthusiasm when we were consecrating the Ram temple at Ayodhya”.

The Prime Minister disarmed his political associates and the common people alike by displaying warmth.

In Aurangabad, when state BJP leaders approached him with a huge garland, Prime Minister Modi called Nitish Kumar and ensured that both were in the frame together.

In Begusarai, the PM, famous for being attentive to his surroundings, spotted a bystander atop his chair and said, “I appreciate your enthusiasm and your affection for me. But I beg you with folded hands, please take your seat”.

Besides the Bihar CM, those present at the functions included Governor Rajendra Arlekar. The Begusarai event was also attended by Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Giriraj Singh, who is also the local MP.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Katihar/Purnea/Bhagalpur/Muzaffarpur:

Income Tax sleuths on Wednesday carried out searches on premises linked to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Ahmad Ashfaque Karim at multiple locations in Bihar on Wednesday.

The MP is the main trustee and the founder chancellor of Katihar-based Al Karim University, Bihar.

Officials were tightlipped about the raids.

It may be recalled that the probe agency had earlier raided the premises of Mr Karim in connection with the land-for-job scam involving RJD chief Lalu Yadav and his family members.

A statement by the department said, “Patna directorate started the search action at Al Karim Educational Trust, which runs and manages Al Karim University and Katihar Medical College. Main office of the trust is in Patna.” 

“The trust also runs a school of paramedical and allied health sciences, school of information technology and management. Main trustee is Ahmad Ashfaque Karim, who is the founder chancellor of Al Karim University and also a sitting MP of Rajya Sabha,” it said.

“Teams are searching their office records and computers and it is too early to give any leads. Teams of IT officers/officials from Bihar, Jharkhand, and Delhi have been inducted for the operation and security cover has been provided by a central paramilitary force,” the statement said.

Despite repeated attempts by PTI, Mr Karim could not be contacted for his comments on IT searches at the premises linked to him.

In another development, Income Tax sleuths also searched several premises linked to Purnea-based Milia Education Trust in Purnea, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur.

“Searches were conducted on premises of Milia Group of Purnea (Bihar), which runs and manages the Milia Educational Trust in Purnea, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur districts. The main trustees are Asad Imam, Syed Gulam Hussain, Quaisar Imam, Md. Wasim, Ozair Ahmad and Javed Danish”, a statement by the IT department said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)