Supreme Court Directs State Bank of India to Disclose Electoral Bond Numbers, Issues Notice
New Delhi : The Supreme Court has mandated that the State Bank of India (SBI) must disclose electoral bond numbers, in addition to the details it has already revealed regarding the purchase and redemption of the bonds.
In a recent development related to the disclosure process of electoral bond details, a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice BR Gavai, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra reconvened to hear an application filed by the Election Commission (ECI). The ECI sought the return of sealed cover documents submitted by the commission to the court as per its interim order.
The ECI clarified that it had not retained any copies of these documents to maintain confidentiality and requested the return of the sealed envelopes to proceed with necessary actions.
At the start of the hearing, Chief Justice Chandrachud said, "One thing. Who is appearing for the State Bank of India? They have not disclosed the bond numbers. It has to be disclosed by the State Bank of India."
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the court to issue notice to the bank, stating, "I am not representing the State Bank of India. However, Your Lordships may issue notice to the SBI since they may have something to say. I believe they need to be present."
Responding to this, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal referred to the court's ruling, insisting that it was an 'inclusive' order requiring all relevant details to be provided.
Chief Justice Chandrachud also expressed disapproval that the State Bank's counsel was absent, stating that they were not parties to the Election Commission's application.
Despite initial reluctance, the Chief Justice, at the solicitor general's insistence, directed notice to be issued to the State Bank of India.
The bench also disposed of the Election Commission's application with no objections from any parties. The registrar general was instructed to scan and digitise the data filed by the commission by 5 PM the following day. Once completed, the original copies were to be returned to the Election Commission of India, with scanned copies also made available to them. The data was to be uploaded on the Election Commission's website.
Background:
This development arises from the Supreme Court's earlier ruling declaring the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional. In a landmark judgement on February 15, the bench led by Chief Justice Chandrachud struck down the scheme, stating that anonymous electoral bonds contravened the right to information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
Following this, the State Bank of India, the issuing bank of electoral bonds, was directed to cease issuing these bonds immediately. The bank was also instructed to submit details of all bond purchases made since the court's interim order on April 12, 2019, to the Election Commission of India within three weeks, setting the deadline for March 6, 2024.
The State Bank of India submitted the electoral bond details to the Election Commission of India on March 12, complying with the court's order. The Election Commission then uploaded this data on its official website on March 14.
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Hours after Kharge's snub, Bengal Cong chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sticks to his anti-Mamata stance
Kolkata, May 18: In a veiled reference to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he cannot speak in favour of someone who wants to finish him politically and his party in the state.
His comment comes hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that Chowdhury is no one to take a decision on whether Banerjee would be part of the INDIA bloc in the event of the anti-BJP alliance coming to power after the Lok Sabha polls.
Asked about Kharge’s statement, Chowdhury, who is seeking re-election from Baharampur on a Congress ticket, said, “I cannot speak in favour of someone who wants to finish me politically and our party in Bengal. This is a battle for every Congress worker. I have spoken on their behalf.”
Stating that his opposition to Banerjee stemmed from his principled stance, not from his interest, Chowdhury said “There is no personal grudge but I question her political ethics."
Asked about Mamata Banerjee's comment that she will support the INDIA bloc government from the outside and Chowdhury's remark that the Bengal CM cannot be trusted and she might go with the BJP, Kharge told reporters, "Mamata Banerjee is with the alliance. She has recently said that she will join the government. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary will not take the decision. The decision will be taken by me and the high command those who don't agree will go out."
Chowdhury also alleged that Banerjee had "taken Maoists' help to discredit the Left in Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram and then abandoned them.
“I don’t want the state Congress to be used for her personal agenda and then finish the organisation. If Kharge ji speaks against my views, I will continue to speak for Congressmen at the grassroots in the state.”
The TMC is contesting the Lok Sabha elections alone in the state, while the Congress and the Left are jointly fighting.
