Feb 16 2023

(newindianexpress.com)

BENGALURU:

The Congress on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court judgment striking down the electoral bonds scheme. The Grand Old Party “hoped that the Union Government will stop resorting to mischievous ideas in future”.

Taking to ‘X’, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “On the day of the launching of the Electoral Bonds scheme, the Congress had called it opaque and undemocratic. Subsequently, in its 2019 manifesto, the Congress promised to scrap Modi govt’s dubious scheme.”

Welcoming the SC verdict, Kharge said, “We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court today, which has struck down this ‘Black Money Conversion’ scheme of the Modi govt, calling it ‘unconstitutional’. 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’’

State JDS chief and former CM HD Kumaraswamy said that there is a need for transparency. “We need more transparency and many have spoken about it and have got little or no change… things have gotten worse. We all know that objectivity is needed. Everyone knows it and changes need to be taken up in a big way and people need to think about it.’’

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, director, Venkatesh Nayak told TNIE that everyone wants greater transparency. “The smaller parties have not benefited because of this opaque funding and they have lost out because of this opaque funding. The funding pattern shows that obviously, this was a scheme that was meant to help the high-networth individuals and corporates donating surreptitiously and claiming 100% tax exemption,” Nayak said. Read More