Turning down the plea for interim stay on Electoral bonds, the Supreme Court has directed all the parties to submit the details of the donation received through electoral bond along with the detail of the donors in a sealed envelope by May 30.
HIGHLIGHTS
- SC directs parties to give poll panel details of identity of donors, amount in account of donors by May 30
- The Apex Court directs parties to furnish receipts of electoral bonds to Election Commission
- SC directs Union finance ministry to reduce window of purchasing electoral bonds from 10 days to five
SC directs parties to submit details of donations through electoral bonds
A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna gave interim orders for disclosing the details of the bonds received by the parties with the Election Commission. Pronouncing its verdict on the legality of the electoral bonds scheme on Friday the Supreme Court said: “All political parties to submit details of bonds received till May 15 by May 30 to the Election Commission in sealed cover”. The Supreme Court also directed EC to keep the details in the sealed cover until further orders.
The Supreme Court asked the finance ministry to reduce the window of purchasing electoral bonds from 10 days to five days in April-May. The court further said that the changes made in law would be examined properly and with no partiality.
Supreme Court also said that this order is being passed so as to support the government to cut down the black money in elections
The verdict has been given against the plea of an NGO which challenged the validity of the scheme and asked either the issuance of electoral bonds be stopped or publicize the donor’s name so that transparency of polling can be ensured.
The Election Commission confirmed to the bench that it has received information from political parties on the number of donations received by them in the form of bonds and has already handed over details to the court.
The Election Commission and the central government have submitted their divergent views on the issue in writing to the court. The government has justified the bonds, saying it will promote transparency in political funding. Contradicting the commission says that the changes made in the law will make election funding opaque and will put Indian elections at risk to foreign interference.
In an affidavit, the government said that the non-disclosure of the identity of the donor is the core objective of the scheme of electoral bond in order to safeguard the donor from being politically victimized.
As of now, the electoral bond is continuing and though the identity and details of the donors and the donation made will be submitted to EC but will not be publicised. The result of this scheme can only be known after the Lok sabha elections will be over.
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