As every passing day is coming with one new dubious event related to the Electoral Bond Scheme, the question arises on the intent of the current Central Ruling party of India and its actions. There is enough light now that clearly shows how the current BJP government bought the Electoral Bond Scheme and compromised the nation for their personal and party gains.
Lies, Lies and Lies about Electoral Bonds.
As per the article published by independent journalists of ‘The Reporters’ Collective’, The Modi government, aka the BJP, claimed repeatedly that the donors asked for the electoral bonds because of the fear of political retribution if they employ transparent methods of funding. However, an RTI reply shows this was a lie.
When Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced electoral bonds in 2017, an anonymous way for anonymous persons (corporates, individuals, and trusts) to pour money into political parties, he justified his decision by claiming that donors have also voiced reluctance in donating by cheque or other visible, transparent methods as it would reveal their identity and entail adverse consequences.
Years after Jaitley’s speech, and after unidentified donors gave bonds worth gigantic crores to political parties, the lion’s share given to the BJP, the finance ministry has revealed that no donor ever pushed the government to develop an opaque system of funding political parties. And this was revealed in 2019 itself.
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Isn’t this not only a lie but also a crime? The central ruling party gave a nod to the existence of Electoral Bonds by saying such a big lie to the government of India, that kept the people under curtain. So Will The Supreme Court Take Any Action Against BJP For This Event of providing ‘False Information’ on Electoral Bonds?
Taking the Right To Information from WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA.
As the lie by the central ruling government, BJP, is in the public domain, it seems that this was intentionally done to mislead the people of India. Moreover, the honourable SC itself stated that the ‘Electoral Bond’ scheme was ‘unconstitutional’ as it violated the right to information and Article 19(1)(a).
So, Will The Supreme Court Take Any Action Against the BJP For This Event of Scrapping the Public Right to RTI on Electoral Bonds?
Again, The Ministry itself broke the Rule.
How Did the Finance Ministry Break an Official Rule to Allow the BJP to Redeem Expired Electoral Bonds? Notably, these bonds were purchased during an “extra” window for the sale of electoral bonds demanded by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), despite the fact that no such extra window is allowed by the Centre’s approved regulations. After his party people came into the State Bank of India to encash expiring election bonds, the Union Finance Ministry, led by late BJP politician Arun Jaitely, forced the bank to accept Rs 10 crore in electoral bonds.
According to ECI findings, the finance ministry interpreted rules differently and gave an illegal directive to the government-owned bank SBI to allow the saffron party to encash out Rs 10 crore in expired bonds.
So, Will The Supreme Court Take Any Action Against BJP For This Event of Modifying the Rules for Personal Gain on Electoral Bonds?
Advocate for others and Judge for themselves.
When it comes to opposition, the central ruling has numerous things to say about the corrupt policies of the opposition, their failures and many more. But when it comes to introspection, the BJP is either quite or just in defence mode.
A 100 crore liquor fraud in Delhi resulted in the arrest of two AAP ministers and MLC K. Kavitha on March 16, 2024. This happens even when no money is detected. In the electoral bonds scandal, the ruling party in the centre received thousands of crores from only 14 of the top donor firms that were being investigated, raided, and prosecuted by the ED, CBI, and/or Income Tax Department. Yet the BJP has not even announced an investigation into the quid pro quo between political parties and the donors, even though the initial data, however imperfect, is out in the public domain!
This either signifies that the Union government and/or its agencies do not fully agree with the Supreme Court’s findings that there is or may be quid pro quo and corruption, or worse, how can the ruling party in the Centre expect to conduct its own investigation? Just like how BJP was quick passing judgments on oppositions about their false practices, but when it comes to see the mirror, it takes a clear cut path of advocating the ‘so-called’ efforts of its government in curbing corruption.
Moreover, the Union government claimed that it had never known about the donors of the electoral bonds because of their anonymous nature; otherwise, it would not have accepted donations from companies that central agencies raided. So now, when it knows that the donors have shady financials and activities, does it take any steps against such companies?
This attitude of BJP made me understand what famous Brazilian lyricist and novelist Paulo Coelho once said that humans are very good lawyers for our thier mistakes, and very good judges for the mistakes of others’.
So, Will The Supreme Court Take Any Action Against This Double-Engine Government For This Double-Faced Attitude on Electoral Bonds?
BJP has compromised on the notion of free and fair elections, threatening the concept of democracy in India.
While electoral bond donors are technically anonymous, SBI’s status as a public sector bank effectively grants the governing party undeclared access to its data, which opponents believe will discourage major donors from utilising electoral bonds to donate to opposition parties.
Furthermore, in 2017, India’s national bank, the Reserve Bank of India, warned the Modi government that the bonds could be used by shell businesses to enable money laundering. In 2019, the Election Commission of India characterised the practice as “a regressive move in terms of transparency of donations.”
Since 2018, secret donors have contributed almost 16,000 crore rupees (more than $1.9 billion) to political parties via these bonds. Between 2018 and March 2022, the Association for Democratic Reforms, a nongovernmental organisation, found that 57% of electoral bond donations (about $600 million) flowed to Modi’s BJP.
As India prepares to elect a new government with over 900 million voters, these finances have enabled the BJP to establish itself as a powerful electoral machine. From supporting tens of thousands of WhatsApp groups advocating its agenda to paying for the block-booking of private planes, electoral bonds have supplied the BJP with a significant injection of money, giving it a clear advantage over its competitors.
Moreover, the recent freeze of Congress accounts hindering the opposition to use it funds before the election paves the way towards the malicious intent of BJP to compromise the idea of free and fair elections.
So Will The Supreme Court Take Any Action Against BJP For this malicious intent of violating the concept of free and fair elections, using the funds from on Electoral Bonds?
The bottom line.
From being so many years, we have seen an aggressive effort by central agencies in handling corruption, bribes, and wrong goings in the country. However, most of them are directed in tormenting the people or parties in opposition, and iconically, when they join the BJP, or when they fund to BJP, via the Electoral Bond Scheme, they perhaps get a clean chit from their wrongdoings.
So, now, when the ruling party is now under the limelight for their shady activities, and all the eyes are looking towards ‘The Lord’ of Indian Democracy, i.e. ‘The Indian Judiciary’; will the honourable Supreme Court Take any action against BJP for the Electoral Bond Extortion, which is now getting the name of biggest scam of the Indepnedent Democratic India?
As the dark of the Winter fades with the light of the Spring, will the honourable Supreme Court take any action that will take the Indian Democracy from the Dark of the last decade?
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