THANE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stepped up his attack on the BJP-led central government as he described the electoral bonds scheme as an extortion racket used for toppling governments and breaking political parties.

He was addressing people at Jambhali Naka in Maharashtra's Thane during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra before heading to Mumbai.

"The electoral bonds scheme is an international-level extortion racket and those who protest, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax Department go after them," he alleged.

"It's an extortion racket used for toppling governments led by opposition parties, and for breaking political parties," Gandhi said.

"Do you think Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs in Maharashtra ran away for free?" he asked, referring to a split in the two parties triggered by the rebellions led by Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar respectively.

People belonging to backward communities, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities and poor from the general category account for more than 80 per cent of the population, but have minuscule representation in the top echelons in government and private sectors, Gandhi said.

He claimed that 50 lakh people died of COVID-19 in India during the pandemic.

"When people were dying of coronavirus, vaccine-maker Serum Institute of India donated money to PM Modi in the form of electoral bonds," the Congress leader claimed.

Gandhi also alleged that only film stars and top industrialists attended the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony as guests, but there were no poor people.

"Even the President of India (Droupadi Murmu) was not allowed (at the event) as she is an Adivasi," he claimed.

NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Jitendra Awhad, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kedar Dighe were present with Gandhi when his yatra entered Thane.

At Bhiwandi in the district, Samajwadi Party MLA Raees Sheikh welcomed him.