New Delhi: The Supreme Court has asked the central government many important questions about electoral bonds. At the same time, while expressing concern, it has also asked for assurance that in the coming time they will not be used for terrorism and other violent incidents. In fact, every election season, political parties raise a large number of donations through electoral bonds for donations. However, the identity of the donor through bonds remains secret.
The Supreme Court expressed this concern over a petition from the Central Government. The petition challenged the release of Bonds. Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, while securing the decision on this petition, asked Attorney General KK Venugopal why the government has allowed the political parties’ donors in electoral bonds not to be identified.
The CJI questioned the period of release of electoral bonds from 1 to 10 April, asking, “Can anyone buy these bonds in these 10 days to fund a terrorist operation?” We feel that there are some political parties, whose agenda itself is violence. ” Bobde further said, “We do not want to talk about political and any political party. But can’t parties fund such demonstrations by taking bonds that turn violent. What is the government’s control over the amount of electoral bonds used? “
The Attorney General gave the clarification: On this, the Attorney General said that cashing of electoral bonds can be done only by parties which have got at least 1 per cent of the votes in the recent Lok Sabha or Assembly elections. Venugopal also argued that the amount received through electoral bonds is the entire white money, which goes through banks and is given through checks. However, he also believed that the electoral bonds do not disclose who bought and gave them.
Petition filed by ADR: The Association for Democratic Reforms has been demanding the ban on electoral bonds on several occasions in the past. However, the Supreme Court has refused it. The NGO’s petition is pending a detailed hearing. Hearing this petition in 2019, the Supreme Court had ordered that all political parties should inform themselves about the donations received from electoral bonds to the Election Commission in a sealed envelope. These envelopes should be kept sealed till the order of the Supreme Court.
