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"Will Reinforce The Power Of Votes Over Notes...": Reactions On SC Verdict Over Electoral Bonds

Elections Edited by Updated: Feb 15, 2024, 3:21 pm

"Will Reinforce The Power Of Votes Over Notes": Reactions On SC Verdict On Electoral Bonds (Image: Pixabay)

As the Supreme Court has struck down the electoral bonds scheme introduced in 2018 by the central government, many public figures have came out reacting to the verdict.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, welcoming the Supreme Court decision, reminded that the party at the time of its launching had slammed it calling “undemocratic and opaque.” He also drew the public attention to the 2019 Congress manifesto, promising to scrap the Modi government-launched scheme, noting it “dubious.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Congress president said that the party welcomes the Supreme Court verdict, striking down the “black money conversion scheme” of the Modi government.

“We remember how the Modi Govt, PMO and FM bulldozed every institution – RBI, Election Commission, Parliament and Opposition to fill BJP”s coffers. No wonder, 95% of the funding under this scheme was received by BJP.  We hope that Modi Govt will stop resorting to such mischievous ideas in future and listen to the Supreme Court so that Democracy, Transparency and level-playing field persists” Mallikarjun Kharge wrote.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh while reacting to the Supreme Court verdict noted that the ruling will “reinforce the power of votes over notes.” In a post shared on X, the Congress leader said the verdict is “hugely welcome”. “The Modi Sarkar has been inflicting ANYAY upon ANYAY on the Annadatas while privileging the Chandadatas,” he wrote.

Jairam Ramesh further raised the issue of the Election Commission’s refusal to meet political parties on the issue of the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), expressing his hope that the Supreme Court to take note of it. “If everything is transparent in the voting process then why this obstinacy?, he further asked.

Noting that the electoral bond scheme is a medium for the BJP to take bribes and commissions, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reacted to the Supreme Court verdict and said, “Another proof of Narendra Modi”s corrupt policies is in front of you. BJP had made electoral bonds a medium for taking bribes and commissions. Today this matter has been approved.”

The Secretary-general of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Sitaram Yechury took to X, welcoming the Supreme Court decision. “Glad that this unanimous verdict of the Supreme Court bench has upheld our contention. Congratulations to our Counsel Shadan Farasat and others who effectively argued the case. The Communist leader wrote. In a video shared by the news agency ANI, the CPM leader was seen saying that the CPM was the only petitioner against the electoral bonds. “The only political party who had the locus-standi to argue against the electoral bonds. As a matter of principle, we are the only party which did not accept electoral bonds. We consider electoral bonds as a legalisation of political corruption,” he said.

Advocate Shadan Farasat talking about their petition said that the amendments which were the basis of the scheme have been struck down from different enactments like the Income Tax Act and others. “Supreme Court agreed with our submissions,” he said to the ANI.

The senior supreme court advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal while speaking to the ANI made a detailed analysis of the electoral bond. “This whole scheme which was the brainchild of my late friend Arun Jaitley was in fact choreographed to enrich the BJP. Because everybody knew that the BJP was in power and that any donations through the electoral bond scheme would come to the BJP. But the interesting part is that this electoral bond scheme had nothing to do with elections. It was really the bonding between the corporate sector and the BJP which received the largest number of donations. And the donations they received over the years amounted to about five to 6000 cores,” he said.

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