On Monday, March 11, all eyes turn to the Supreme Court as a bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, convenes at 10:30 am to deliberate on two crucial petitions regarding electoral bonds.
The spotlight shines on the State Bank of India (SBI) as it seeks an extension until June 30 to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties before the scheme’s recent discontinuation. This application by the SBI has garnered significant attention, especially in light of a separate petition urging contempt action against the bank for allegedly disobeying the Supreme Court’s directive to divulge bond details to the Election Commission of India (ECI) by March 6.
Here are the key updates and developments in the electoral bonds case:
Supreme Court Assembly: The five-judge Constitution bench, comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, will assemble to hear both petitions at 10:30 am.
Court’s Earlier Rulings: On February 15, a previous five-judge bench declared the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional, tasking the ECI with disclosing donor information, donation amounts, and recipients by March 13. Subsequently, the SBI was instructed to furnish details of electoral bonds purchased from April 12, 2019, onward to the ECI by March 6.
SBI’s Extension Plea: The SBI’s recent plea for an extension until June 30 cited the complex process of retrieving and cross-referencing data from various sources as the reason for the delay in disclosing bond details.
Contempt Allegations: NGOs Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause filed a separate plea, accusing the SBI of deliberately disobeying the court’s order. The petition highlights the importance of transparency in the electoral process and asserts that any form of anonymity in political party finances contradicts the principles of participatory democracy.
Response from Petitioners: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioners, criticized the SBI’s extension plea as “baseless” and emphasized the court’s duty to uphold its integrity. Accepting the bank’s plea, Sibal argued, would undermine the constitutional bench’s earlier judgment.
As the Supreme Court reconvenes to address these critical issues surrounding electoral bonds, the outcome of Monday’s hearing could have far-reaching implications for transparency and accountability in India’s electoral system.
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