'Using Bank To Shield Dubious Dealings': Congress Attacks Centre Over SBI's Deadline Extension Plea For Electoral Bonds

Electoral Bond Row:  Launching a much-anticipated attack on the BJP-led central government on SBI's petition in the electoral bond case, the Congress party on Tuesday said that the Modi regime is using the largest bank in the country to shield its 'dubious dealings.' This comes a day after the public sector bank responsible for the poll funding scheme transactions, approached the Supreme Court to request time until after Lok Sabha elections to disclose the details of the electoral bonds.

The bank in its plea asked the court to extend the deadline of disclosing details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties, from March 6 to June 30. The Supreme Court in a landmark judgment in February has quashed the centre's Electoral Bond scheme.

Leading the charge, chief of INC Mallikarjun Kharge said that Congress's position on the electoral bonds scheme is that it is "opaque, undemocratic and destroyed the level playing field".

"Modi government is using the largest bank of our country as a shield to hide its dubious dealings through Electoral Bonds," he said.

Also Read: Electoral Bond Disclosure: SBI Moves SC Seeking Extension Of Deadline Till After Lok Sabha Polls

The Supreme Court of India invalidated the Modi government's electoral bonds, deeming them "unconstitutional, "violative of RTI" and "illegal". It directed the State Bank of India to disclose donor information by March 6, Kharge said.

'But the BJP wants it to be done after Lok Sabha elections by June 30,' Kharge said, adding that the tenure of the Lok Sabha will end on June 16.

Accusing the BJP of being the main beneficiary of the "fraudulent" electoral bonds program, Kharge said, "Isn't the government conveniently hiding the BJP's shady dealings where contracts of highways, ports, airports, power plants etc. were handed over to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cronies in lieu of these opaque electoral bonds."

"Experts say that the 44,434 automated data entries of donors can be divulged and matched in just 24 hours. Why does the SBI then need 4 more months to collate this information?" he said.

"Congress party was crystal clear that the Electoral Bonds scheme was opaque, undemocratic and destroyed level playing field. But the Modi government, PMO and FM bulldozed every institution - RBI, Election Commission, Parliament and Opposition to fill BJP's coffers," Kharge alleged.

"Now a desperate Modi Govt, clutching on straws, is trying to use SBI to bulldoze the Supreme Court's judgement!" he said.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said he had predicted the "delay, diversion and digression" by the government and SBI on the issue.

"On the day of electoral bonds SC judgement, I had predicted delay, diversion & digression by govt/SBI in disclosing details. Proved right today; SBI has started whataboutery to obstruct disclosure, especially before elections, since the opposition wanted to make details disclosed a major election issue!" Singhvi said.

In a request submitted to the highest court, the State Bank of India argued that getting information from each separate source and comparing it would take a lot of time. The request explained that because strict steps were taken to keep donors' identities secret, unravelling the details of electoral bonds and connecting donors to their contributions would be a complicated task.