Fact Check: Claim Of BJP Receiving Donations From Pakistani Company Is False, Hub Power Indian Company Purchasing Electoral Bonds
The claim that the Pakistani company ‘Hub Power Company’ donated to the BJP through electoral bonds is false. The entity mentioned in the electoral bond details released by the Election Commission is an Indian company. Additionally, according to the electoral bond rules, foreign entities cannot purchase these bonds, rendering the claim of a Pakistani company buying bonds false and unfounded. The information disclosed by the Election Commission only indicates which entity or individual bought electoral bonds and the total value of bonds purchased for each party. It does not reveal which party received bonds from a specific entity or individual. It is crucial to note the distinction between the Pakistani power company ‘The Hub Power Company Limited’ (HUBCO) and the Indian company ‘Hub Power Company’, which has been inaccurately implicated in this matter.
- By: Abhishek Parashar
- Published: Mar 21, 2024 at 08:00 AM
New Delhi (Vishvas News): After the Election Commission released the details of electoral bonds, a viral social media post alleging that a Pakistani company donated to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) through electoral bonds. It has been falsely claimed that the party donated crores of rupees two months after the Pulwama attack.
Vishvas News investigated this claim and found it to be false and part of election propaganda. The company in question, according to the Election Commission’s data, is ‘Hub Power Company’, which is being mistaken for ‘The Hub Power Company Limited’, a Pakistani entity. However, the actual company purchasing the electoral bonds is an Indian entity also named ‘Hub Power Company’, whose GST registration was cancelled on the day of its registration.
The Government of India introduced the Electoral Bond Scheme in 2018, stipulating that only Indian citizens or entities established in India are eligible to purchase these bonds. Therefore, the assertion of any Pakistani entity buying electoral bonds lacks factual basis.
What Is Going Viral?
The viral video shared by social media user ‘piyush.z.z’ alleged, “Pakistani Hub Power Company donated crores of rupees to BJP 2 months after Pulwama.”
Many other users on different social media platforms have shared it with similar claims. Many users have shared this post (archive link) on X.
Investigation:
The Supreme Court, declaring Electoral Bonds unconstitutional, directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to disclose details to the Election Commission. The Commission subsequently made the data public, with Part 1 containing details of electoral bond purchases by companies up to a certain date.
The list includes Hub Power Company, which bought electoral bonds on April 18, 2019. Further investigation on the India Mart website revealed that this is a Delhi-based company with GST number 07BWNPM0985J1ZX.
Verification of this GST number on the Government of India’s GST portal confirmed that this is indeed a Delhi-based company named ‘HUB POWER COMPANY’, registered on 12.11.2018, but with its registration cancelled the same day. The company’s address is in Geeta Colony, East Delhi, and it has another office in Delhi.
Our investigation establishes that the company being misrepresented as Pakistani is actually Indian. Reports indicate that SBI has not released details of the bond numbers, making it impossible to trace which individual or company donated to which party.
Therefore, the claim that Hub Power Company, an Indian entity, donated to the BJP is also false. The current data only reveals which entity or individual purchased electoral bonds and not to which party the bonds were donated.
Further investigation into HUBCO, a power producing company in Pakistan, revealed that it is distinct from the Indian company in question.
The Government of India introduced the Electoral Bond Scheme in January 2018 (archive link), allowing bonds of various denominations to be issued and purchased from designated SBI branches. According to the scheme’s rules, “Only a citizen of India or a company established in India can buy this bond.”
We contacted our colleague Dainik Jagran’s National Bureau Chief Ashutosh Jha regarding the viral claim. He said, “According to the rules, no foreign company could purchase electoral bonds.”
The user who shared the viral claim has a profile indicating a specific ideology. The Election Commission’s website provides details regarding electoral bonds, while Vishvas News’s election section contains fact-check reports debunking misleading claims related to elections.
Conclusion: The claim that the Pakistani company ‘Hub Power Company’ donated to the BJP through electoral bonds is false. The entity mentioned in the electoral bond details released by the Election Commission is an Indian company. Additionally, according to the electoral bond rules, foreign entities cannot purchase these bonds, rendering the claim of a Pakistani company buying bonds false and unfounded. The information disclosed by the Election Commission only indicates which entity or individual bought electoral bonds and the total value of bonds purchased for each party. It does not reveal which party received bonds from a specific entity or individual. It is crucial to note the distinction between the Pakistani power company ‘The Hub Power Company Limited’ (HUBCO) and the Indian company ‘Hub Power Company’, which has been inaccurately implicated in this matter.
- Claim Review : The viral video shared by social media user 'piyush.z.z' alleged,
- Claimed By : social media user 'piyush.z.z'
- Fact Check : False
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