TPCC welcomes SC decision on electoral bond disclosure
G Niranjan, Senior Vice President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), welcomed the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss the State Bank of India's plea for an extension until June 30 to disclose details of electoral bonds.
Hyderabad: G Niranjan, Senior Vice President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the State Bank of India’s plea for an extension until June 30 to disclose details of electoral bonds.
Addressing the media at Gandhi Bhavan on Monday, Niranjan expressed appreciation for the Supreme Court’s observation that the SBI’s plea constituted willful disobedience of court orders. The court directed the submission of bond details to the Election Commission by the evening of the 12th of this month, aiming to expose any misuse of the Electoral Bond scheme launched in 2017, particularly by the BJP.
Highlighting that over 55 percent, or approximately 6,564 crores, was raised by the BJP through electoral bonds, Niranjan emphasised the importance of revealing the names of bond buyers and the benefits derived from them.
He referred to a letter from a former Union Government Secretary to the President of India, citing Arun Goyal’s resignation as Election Commission Secretary due to political interference in elections and doubts about EVM efficiency.
Niranjan alleged that political pressure from the SBI not to disclose bond details was a factor in Goyal’s resignation. The letter suggested freezing money received by political parties through electoral bonds and removing BJP supporters from the management boards of BEL, ECIL, and SBI for transparency in the election process.
Calling for a comprehensive investigation by the Supreme Court with a sitting judge to clarify all matters, Niranjan expressed concern about the Election Commission’s ability to conduct impartial Lok Sabha elections for 543 seats. He pointed to reported misunderstandings between the Chief Election Commissioner and Arun Goyal during their visit to Bengal and questioned how the current Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, could announce the election schedule amid controversy.
Niranjan criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for creating a sensitive issue before the elections, leading to chaos in the country, and held him responsible for such episodes.
