ABP Shikhar Sammelan: Union Minister Anurag Thakur took a dig at the Congress after the grand old party recently claimed that the Union government had frozen Congress' funds, leaving candidates with no money for campaigning amidst the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections 2024.


Responding to allegations, Anurag Thakur at the ABP Shikhar Sammelan said, "Jeep Scam happened in 1947. The Bofors scam happened. The list is long. Where was the money spent? How did this situation arise? You have to file an income tax return on donations. Can we make a law allowing parties to do corruption and not face probes? For parties to not file income tax returns and not face any questions?"


Addressing questions raised by opposition parties regarding electoral bonds, Thakur defended the practice, stating, "Is it right for a political party to hand over cash in black money under the table or through cheques where everyone knows how much every party earns?... Parties run on donations, they do not have an income source. We initiated a move where the parties could get donations with transparency."


"In Bengal, TMC got Rs 1600 crores even though they have a government in just one state. The BJP has governments in 18 seats and over 300 seats in Lok Sabha, we got Rs 6000 crores, by this proportion how much donation did we get?" he asked. "Look at Germany, you get a donation as per vote share... We have nothing to hide. We ran the government with honestly," he added. 


The Union Minister hit out at opposition parties over alleged corruption, he claimed the parties indulged in scams to fund themselves.


Responding to queries about the alleged misuse of central agencies and the BJP "washing machine", Thakur emphasised the importance of due process. He stated, "In a democracy, the opposition has the right to speak, but it is the job of central agencies to provide evidence against those they take action against. Imposing penalties is the court's job. It is a long process. It does not happen in a day."


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Taking a swipe at Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, the Union Minister remarked, "Is there any other state where the Chief Minister is in jail for corruption? His several ministers are in jail? This perhaps would be the first Chief Minister to hold his cabinet meetings in jail."


"Who used to cite morality earlier and give summons to the world? Today, he stands as an example of immorality," he alleged.


On speculation of Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal becoming the next Chief Minister of Delhi, Thakur remarked, "Lalu Prasad Yadav who did fodder scam at least made his wife Chief Minister. Looks like his (Arvind Kejriwal's) wife also wants to become Rabri Devi".



Anurag Thakur Exudes Confidence In BJP Victory In Lok Sabha Election 2024


When asked about the BJP's prospects in the Lok Sabha elections, Thakur exuded confidence, predicting a hat-trick victory for the party. Referring to his home state of Himachal Pradesh, he expressed optimism that the BJP would secure victory on all four seats in the state.


He also hailed the Modi government's achievement emphasising India becoming the fifth largest economy and remarked, "People see hope in India, people see hope in India's leadership. People see hope in Prime Minister Modi. We will fulfill their hope. We will seek their blessings. We will make India the third largest economy and make a developed India in the next 25 years."


On sitting MPs denied tickets, the Union Minister stressed winnability as a criterion and said candidates are replaced if better ones are available. 


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