New Delhi, March 17: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp attack on the Congress party on Tuesday, revisiting the infamous ‘Cash for Votes’ scandal on the 15th anniversary of the Wikileaks revelations. The BJP accused the then Congress-led government of having “sold democracy” to secure a vote of confidence.
In a post on its official ‘X’ handle, the BJP recalled the events of March 17, 2011, when leaked diplomatic cables caused a significant upheaval in Indian politics.
The post highlighted allegations that during a crucial vote of confidence in 2008, allies of the ruling Congress leadership displayed boxes filled with cash to secure support from Members of Parliament (MPs) to save the Manmohan Singh government. This vote was brought forth to test the government’s legitimacy following the controversial India-US nuclear deal.
The scandal first gained prominence in 2008 when three BJP MPs—Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste, and Mahavir Singh Bhagora—created a sensation in the Lok Sabha by waving bundles of cash. They alleged that they were offered ₹1 crore each to abstain from voting.
The BJP’s post stated that this vote was meant to determine the government’s legitimacy, but it became notorious as the ‘Cash for Votes’ scandal. The party claimed that the sanctity of Parliament was questioned at that time, leading to the perception that representatives were influenced through monetary means.
Targeting Congress, the BJP remarked that the party, which speaks of strengthening democracy, still has images of cash bundles being waved in Parliament fresh in people’s minds. The BJP described this incident as a “dark chapter” in Indian politics and questioned whether Congress had indeed sold democracy.