The Congress criticized the Centre on Tuesday regarding the State Bank of India’s move to the Supreme Court seeking an extension to disclose electoral bond details, alleging that the Modi government is using the country’s largest bank to conceal its questionable dealings.
The State Bank of India (SBI) filed a plea on Monday, requesting an extension until June 30 to reveal the details of each electoral bond cashed by political parties. Last month, the Supreme Court directed the SBI to provide these details to the Election Commission by March 6.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that the Congress views the electoral bonds scheme as “opaque, undemocratic, and detrimental to a level playing field.” He accused the Modi government of utilizing the SBI as a shield to mask its questionable activities through electoral bonds.
Kharge highlighted the Supreme Court’s verdict, which invalidated the electoral bonds scheme, labeling it “unconstitutional,” “violative of RTI,” and “illegal.” He criticized the BJP for wanting to delay the disclosure until after the Lok Sabha elections, insinuating that the BJP benefits the most from this “fraudulent scheme.”
Congress MP Manish Tewari also criticized the government, urging the Supreme Court to reject SBI’s plea. He emphasized the importance of transparency before the general elections and called for unveiling the true identity of donors.
Furthermore, Rahul Gandhi, former Congress chief, condemned the government’s actions as a desperate attempt to hide Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s true intentions before the Lok Sabha polls.
In its plea to the Supreme Court, the SBI explained the complexities involved in retrieving and matching information related to electoral bonds due to the stringent measures to protect donor anonymity.
The landmark verdict by the Supreme Court invalidated the electoral bonds scheme, directing the SBI to disclose details of each electoral bond to the Election Commission by March 6.
