• Source:JND
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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday launched the party’s ‘Donate for Desh’ drive to garner funds ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Divulging the details about the application launched to collect the money, Kharge said one has to follow the policy of rich people if the former is dependent on them for funds.

“It's the first time that Congress is asking people for donations for the nation. If we depend on rich people for funds, we have to follow their policies. People have donated to us before as well. Mahatma Gandhi also took donations from the public during the freedom struggle,” Kharge said.

Congress party took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to announce the party’s initiative to collect funds ahead of upcoming polls.

“Congress President Shri@Khargeinaugurates Donate for Desh – Indian National Congress' Online Crowdfunding Initiative.Beyond a campaign, it's a commitment to champion the rights of marginalized communities, bridge disparities, and stand as a formidable opposition against a government favouring the affluent.Join us in the fight against unprecedented unemployment and rising costs. Stand with the Indian National Congress as it strides beyond its 138th year, stronger and more determined than ever. Be a Changemaker, Contribute,” the post reads.  

A link has also been shared to make payments. As the grand old party completes 138 years, it prompts donors to make contributions of Rs 138 or Rs 1,380 or Rs 13,800. A different amount could also be chosen.  

Congress’ top brass asked its leadership across the country to take the drive forward.

BJP, however, took a dig at the Congress fundraising drive while referring to it as an attempt to siphon off public money and enrich the Gandhis.

“The Congress has announced an online crowdfunding campaign. Going by their previous track record, this will turn out to be nothing but another attempt to siphon off public money and enrich the Gandhis.Let us not forget that the Congress ‘loaned’ 90 crore rupees, received as donation, in violation of The Representation of People Act, to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the company that ran National Herald newspaper and owned property worth more than 2,000 crore. Later, Congress ‘failed’ to recover the loan from AJL and transferred it to Young India (YI), an entity 76% held by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, for just 50 lakh! Congress later wrote off the 90 crore loan at a discount of 89.5 crore! YI then conveniently agrees to negotiate the settlement of loan worth 90 crore with AJL for shares, and holds 99% of the company, effectively taking control of 2,000 crore worth property for just 50 lakh! Both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are currently out on bail in the National Herald scam,” BJP’s Amit Malviya wrote on X.

“Don’t be fooled by Congress’s lofty talk of this crowdsourcing being inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's historic Tilak Swaraj Fund. They will tarnish, both, the Mahatma and Tilak. All the hard earned money people donate, if they do, will go to the Gandhis, who will continue to enjoy the good life. Worse, the move will be reduced to nothing, but another means to solicit dirty money, the kind Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu has been caught with,” he added.