Hours after the Election Commission of India released the data on electoral bonds, supporters of the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (DMK) on Thursday (14th March) falsely claimed that a Pakistani-based company donated money to the BJP.
In a tweet (archive), Congress loyalist Vijay Thottathil insinuated that the BJP received money from a Pakistani company named ‘Hub power’ days after the deadly Pulwama terror attack.
“Is it true that BJP took money from Pakistan Company called Hub Power? That too after one week of Pulwama attack?? Who is going to investigate this? Then there was a shameless man who begged vote in the name of those martyrs! #ElectoralBondScam”, he claimed.
Is it true that BJP took money from
— Vijay Thottathil (@vijaythottathil) March 14, 2024
Pakistan Company called Hub Power? That too after one week of Pulwama attack??
Who is going to investigate this?
Then there was a shameless man who begged vote in the name of those martyrs! #ElectoralBondScam pic.twitter.com/xi32SjSTxx
A DMK supporter ‘Tamil (@IndhuRvn)’ claimed in a tweet (archive), “Wow! Those who were picking on DMK for a mistake of a poster designer, will they have any Shame to tell the country and its people if it is true that BJP took money from Pakistan Company called Hub Power? That too within a week of Pulwama attack? Kudos to chowkidar’s audacity asking for votes in the name of those burned at the stake!”
Wow! Those who were picking on DMK for a mistake of a poster designer, will they have any Shame to
— Tamil (@IndhuRvn) March 14, 2024
tell the country and its people if it is
true that BJP took money from
Pakistan Company called Hub Power? That too within a week of Pulwama attack?
Kudos to chowkidar’s audacity… pic.twitter.com/8LPGzBElYT
Congress supporter ‘Priyamwada (PriaINC)’ claimed (archive), “Anti National BJP ‼️ Hubco Power and China are involved in China Pakistan Corridor project. Hub Power Company Ltd (Hubco) donated in electoral bonds during Pulwama. Worst, PM asked first time voters to vote BJP in the memory of our brave soldiers. PM was shooting with Bear Grylles when attack happened.”
He further brazened out, “BJP can sell the nation just to remain in power. Those telling others to go to Pakistan have deeper and uglier motives for India. Shame on BJP !!”
Anti National BJP ‼️
— Priyamwada (@PriaINC) March 15, 2024
Hubco Power and China are involved in China Pakistan Corridor project. Hub Power Company Ltd (Hubco) donated in electoral bonds during Pulwama. Worst, PM asked first time voters to vote BJP in the memory of our brave soldiers. PM was shooting with Bear… pic.twitter.com/nq8HB1Quok
“BJP: The Pakistan Agents. Confirmed!!! Pakistan based company, Hub Power Company, donated Electoral Bonds weeks after the #Pulwama attack! When the entire country was mourning the loss of 40 brave soldiers, someone was enjoying funding from Pakistan. Now you know why no proper investigation of Pulwama attacks was ever done & no culprits are caught yet,” tweeted DMK fan account ‘We Dravidians.’
#BJP : The Pakistan Agents 🚨
— We Dravidians (@WeDravidians) March 14, 2024
Confirmed!!!
***
Pakistan based company, Hub Power Company, donated Electoral Bonds weeks after the #Pulwama attack!
When the entire country was mourning the loss of 40 brave soldiers, someone was enjoying funding from Pakistan.
Now you know why no… pic.twitter.com/r35ydPnDjE
An X (formerly Twitter) account endorsing TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee as Prime Minister, wrote (archive), “BJP took money from Pakistan Company called Hub Power ? That too after one week of #PulwamaAttack? Who is going to investigate this? Then there was a shameless man who begged vote in the name of those martyrs! #ElectoralBondScam #AnswerNowModi”
BJP took money from Pakistan Company called Hub Power ? That too after one week of #PulwamaAttack?
— Didi For PM (@DidiForPM) March 15, 2024
Who is going to investigate this ?
Then there was a shameless man who begged vote in the name of those martyrs! #ElectoralBondScam #AnswerNowModi pic.twitter.com/HN4XEt1URc
The Truth behind the Hub Power Company
Contrary to the claims made by the DMK and Congress ecosystem, the Hub Power Company is not based in Pakistan but in India’s National Capital.
The company, bearing the GST Number ’07BWNPM0985J1ZX’, can be found on the website of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). It is a proprietorship, registered in the name of one Ravi Mehra in November 2018. The business is located in Delhi.
It must be mentioned that there is a company named ‘The Hub Power Company Limited (HUBCO)’, which operates in Pakistan. In the aftermath of the fake news peddled by supporters of the DMK and Congress, it took to X(formerly Twitter) to issue a clarification.
In a tweet, it said, “It has come to our attention that HUBCO is being mistakenly identified as and connected to the recent inquiry in India about electoral bonds, which includes an Indian company called “Hub Power Company”.”
“We would like to categorically state that we are not affiliated with the company named in this matter or any other company based in India. The payments which are being highlighted on the media has no connection whatsoever with HUBCO,” it emphasised.
— Hubco (@TheHubPowerCo) March 15, 2024
“Any payments we make outside Pakistan are processed after obtaining the necessary approvals by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) against SBP registered contracts. We urge all to verify the facts before publishing any content that may result in spreading misinformation,” the company added.
It must be stated that companies which are incorporated outside of India such as HUBCO cannot purchase electoral bonds and make donations to Indian political parties.
“A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India will be eligible to purchase the bond,” a press release by the Department of Economic Affairs of the Union Ministry of Finance reads.
As such, it becomes clear that a company which purchased electoral bonds could not have done so from Pakistan. But this did not stop the Congress-DMK ecosystem from spreading disinformation ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
