Court Orders FIR Against Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Over Extortion Allegations

The FIR follows accusations of extorting funds through the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme, implicating several BJP leaders.

A Bengaluru Special Court has directed the filing of an FIR against Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for alleged extortion via electoral bonds.
The complaint, filed by Adarsh Iyer of Janaadhikara Sangharsha Sanghatane (JSP), also names BJP President JP Nadda and Karnataka BJP leaders Naleen Kumar Kateel and BY Vijayendra.
The allegations claim corporate entities were coerced into purchasing electoral bonds, which were then cashed by BJP leaders at both national and state levels.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has demanded Sitharaman's resignation, arguing that the same standards applied to him should apply to her and other implicated leaders.
The BJP has dismissed the charges as politically motivated, emphasizing that the issue is a policy matter rather than a criminal one.