The Supreme Court on Monday (March 11) has finally dismissed a plea filed by the State Bank of India (SBI) seeking an extension till June 30 to disclose details of electoral bonds encashed by political parties, and has now asked it to furnish the details by the close of business hours on March 12. Well, it should be noted that in a landmark verdict delivered on February 15, a five-judge constitution Bench had scrapped the Centre’s electoral bonds scheme that allowed anonymous political funding, calling it “unconstitutional” and had directed the SBI to furnish details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties to the Election Commission (EC) by March 6.
Unfortunately, the SBI on March 4 had hurriedly moved (obviously at the behest of PM Modi led BJP government at the centre) an application in the Supreme Court seeking an extension till June 30. Well, the good news is that the Supreme Court has now said the requisite information on electoral bonds was "sufficiently available" with the bank and the submissions of the SBI through its application itself indicate that the information sought is readily available whilst dismissing the application moved by SBI seeking extension till June 30 to disclose the details of the electoral bonds to the election commission. A big salute to the Supreme Court for this great verdict and giving hope for every Indian citizen of this country.
