Chennai: A Chennai-based journalist has moved the Madras high court seeking a CBI probe against BJP and its former national president J P Nadda for their involvement in the ‘micro-donation online scandal’ through the NaMo App. He wanted the court to direct them to produce the entire account of funds collected so far through the App.According to the petitioner, B R Aravindakshan, donors were not transparently informed whether their contributions towards Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao or Kisan Seva actually reached any govt account for those schemes. Contributions were treated solely as party funds, thereby potentially amounting to cheating and criminal breach of trust.He said that on Dec 25, 2021, the then president of BJP, Nadda, publicly announced a special micro-donation campaign through the NaMo App, stating that the campaign would run from Dec 25, 2021, to Feb 11, 2022,, and appealed to the public to make micro-donations that would empower the party, which always puts India first.“Citizens, including me, were induced to donate through the app on the express appeal of the PM and the president of BJP, with the unmistakable impression that contributions were being made both to the BJP and to Union govt schemes such as Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Kisan Seva,” the petitioner said.However, claiming the issue has national ramifications, the petitioner said, “There is a pointer of large-scale misrepresentation to all the citizens across India who donated in good faith, believing they were supporting Union govt welfare schemes. It concerns the integrity and dignity of the office of the PM.”
