A view of the Supreme Court of India, New Delhi. (Source: PTI)
7 years ago
Apr 12, 2019
The Supreme Court today is set to give its verdict on a plea seeking a stay on the use of electoral bonds for political funding. Catch all the live updates on the hearing here!
Chaturvedi alleged that the BJP, which came to power on the back of promises like bringing in transparency in the system, has done nothing towards it.
She also alleged that the BJP has undermined the Right to Information and the Central Vigilance Commission and the party is doing everything to suppress transparency in governance.
"We hope that the BJP would explain how they got such kind of political funding. We also hope this would expose the nexus between their suited-booted friends and the political party, which has within its five years not given development to this country, but developed a five-star headquarter for itself in Delhi," she said.
The Supreme Court has directed all political parties receiving funding through electoral bonds to submit detailed particulars of donors of each bond to the Election Commission.
The details of bonds received up till May 15, 2019 will have to be submitted before May 30, in sealed covers, CJI Gogoi said. The court also directed the finance ministry to remove five extra days in April and May for purchasing electoral bonds, Bloomberg reported.
This means the apex court has refused to put an interim stay on the usage of electoral bonds - the key ask made by the plea being heard today. The date for the final hearing on the funding instrument will be announced later.
The Supreme Court bench - consisting of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjeev Khanna - has assembled.
The Chief Justice said that the apex court will announce the operative part in today’s hearing, after having closely examined the stand taken by all including election commission.
"Such issues will require an in-depth hearing,” Gogoi said. “The court has to ensure that any interim arrangement made will not tilt the balance in favour of either parties.”
