The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): The political arena is ablaze following the State Bank of India’s (SBI) plea to the Supreme Court for an extension until June 30 to disclose details related to electoral bonds, a move that has sparked outrage among opposition parties. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of exploiting the nation’s largest banking institution to obscure questionable transactions. This accusation comes in the wake of a Supreme Court decision mandating the release of data on electoral bonds.
Kharge expressed skepticism regarding the necessity of a three-month delay for information aggregation, suggesting that the Modi administration might be attempting to cover up the BJP’s dubious transactions, including the awarding of contracts to close associates in exchange for financial support through non-transparent electoral bonds.
On social media, Kharge lambasted the government, labeling the electoral bonds scheme as a mechanism for “Black Money Conversion” and criticizing its lack of transparency and democratic integrity. He argued that this strategy aims to undermine the RBI, Election Commission, Parliament, and the opposition, ultimately benefiting the BJP financially.
The SBI’s request for additional time, citing the absence of a centralized database and efforts to maintain donor anonymity, has not only drawn criticism from Congress but also from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya have both condemned the bank’s plea, viewing it as a deliberate attempt to evade transparency until after the general elections.
This controversy underscores the ongoing debate over the electoral bonds scheme, which has been criticized for obscuring the financial contributions to political parties and potentially facilitating quid pro quo arrangements between the government and private entities. The opposition’s reaction to the SBI’s Supreme Court appeal highlights deep-seated concerns over the integrity of political financing and the influence of undisclosed donations on the democratic process.