Know more about Adarsh Iyer, a former engineer who is making waves online after he lodged a FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
Not aware of the controversial matter? Hereโs the information.
Recently, reports emerged indicating that a 50-year-old former software engineer-turned-activist, Adarsh Iyer, filed a complaint against the Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman.
Who is Adarsh Iyer who filed FIR against FM Nirmala Sitharaman and others in Bangalore in electoral bonds case
In his now-viral complaint, Adarsh Iyer alleged that Nirmala Sitharaman, along with Karnataka BJP leaders Nalin Kumar Kateel and BY Vijayendra, had utilized investigative agencies to extort crores of rupees for the party through the electoral bond scheme.
The complaint was filed by Iyer on March 30, just days after the Election Commission revealed the donors and beneficiaries of electoral bonds. As per the Election Commission of India the bonds were amounting to Rs. 16,492 crore.
What Did the Reports Reveal?
As per media reports, the BJP is the largest beneficiary of the electoral bonds scheme, which allowed various individuals and companies to donate money to political parties anonymously.
Case against Nirmala Sitharaman over โextortionโ through electoral bonds
A complaint against Nirmala Sitharaman and others was filed by one Adarsh Iyer from the Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane, alleging that extortion was carried out through electoral bonds.#jazeeranewsโฆ pic.twitter.com/4N9FG0QfxPโ Waahiid Ali Khan (@waahiidalikhan) September 28, 2024
For more than 6 years, until the Supreme Court of India deemed the scheme illegal, the Bharatiya Janata Party has reportedly collected Rs. 8,252 crore, which is allegedly more than 30 other registered parties combined.
What Did Adarsh Iyer Say?
In his complaint, Iyer alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Partyโs advantage in securing more donations stemmed from its use of central agencies to coerce businesses into contributing to this scheme.
Furthermore, Iyer alleged that he and his associates filed approximately โ15 complaints with the Thilaknagar police station,โ adding that after the data was revealed by the Election Commission.
He moreover alleged that none of his complaints were resulted in FIR, which is why he had to escalate the matter in court on April 15.
After 6 months of proceedings, the court instructed the police to register a case against Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman, along with others.
In the FIR filed by the authorities, the Union Finance Minister, was named as the first accused followed by Kateel, Vijayendra, some unidentified BJP officials, and ED officers.
Next Hearing
All of them were charged with extortion and criminal conspiracy. On September 30, the Karnataka HC placed an interim stay on the FIR and the next hearing on the case is scheduled to take place on October 22.
About Adarsh Iyer
๐จAlong with tax terrorism, there is also electoral bonds terrorism.๐
โขBengaluru court orders FIR against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
โขAdarsh Iyer had filed a complaint against Nirmala Sitharaman and other leaders.
โขAdarsh Iyer alleges that extortion was done byโฆ pic.twitter.com/fmBdNfwh6x
โ Shailesh Kushwaha๐ฎ๐ณ (@shailesh_cc) September 28, 2024
Iyer is known for holding all political parties accountable with his years of activism. Previously, in 2015, he and other activist exposed an extortion racket involving the Karnataka Lokayukta under the Congress-led government.
In addition, previously, he also challenged politicians from Janta Dal (secular) over land grabbing case, and sued a former education minister for conducting school exams during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Age 50 Iyerโs journey to activism began when he was still working as a software engineer in the U.S 20 years back.
At the time he went to watch two films, that inspired him to reevaluate his life. Later, in 2005, he quit his job, returned to India and joined the Anna Hazare-led India against corruption movement.
Followed this, he got enrolled in a law course and briefly joined the AAP in 2014 before parting ways with them in 2015.
In the same year, he co-founded the Janaadhikaara Sangharsha Parishath, a collective focused on citizensโ rights, supported by pro bono lawyers and a cost-effective model and has been doing this for 10 years now.
โMy associates and I filed 15 complaints with the Thilaknagar police station after the electoral bonds data was declared,โ Iyer told Scroll. None of them resulted in any first information reports, the police document that sets the criminal justice system in motion. โSo we moved court on April 15,โ he said. โWe strategically chose to go ahead with just one complaint because it is the most important one.โ