In a 5-judge unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court of India has declared the brainchild of BJP illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional. It said that it is against the basic spirit of democracy and opens doors for secret funding of elections. Except for the ruling party the BJP which has been receiving unlimited and unacknowledged funds that boosted its prospects in electoral wars, every section of society and almost the whole political class has hailed the decision.
The SC further commented that the bonds are based on secrecy and violative of the basic constitutional right of citizens to know. In this case, they do not know who gave to whom and how much was given.
The ruling party had been enjoying the black fruits of the black law right from 2017. Some commentators are of the view that the SC should have understood the urgency of the case and shouldn’t have delayed the vitally important judgment for such a long period of more than six years.
Further hitting hard, the SC has ordered the State Bank of India to give details of the bonds to the Election Commission before March 13. It would prove to be more embarrassing to the ruling party when the details would reach the common citizens. It may open several Pandora’s boxes when media unearth how big contributors to the bonds might have been helped and pampered by the government.
Right from day one of this black legislation, strong objections were being made against this opaque secretive legislation. Let’s hope that powers that be will be cautious in the future and won’t make laws that openly undermine the basic principles of natural law and principles of constitutional provision.
The details of the contributions received by political parties are already in the public domain. The total value of electoral bonds sold from 2017-18 to 2022-23 is a whooping Rs.11,450 crore. Out of it,the Bharatiya Janata Party cornered 6566 crore (57%). The details of receipts by other parties have been: Congress 1,123 crore, TMC 1093 crore, BJD 774 crore, DMK 617 crore, AAP 94 crore, NCP 64 crore, JD(U) 24 crore, and others 1,095 crore.
In the present times when the moral standard is steadily degrading and politics has greatly become the playground of corrupt scoundrels, it is more important that strict control is imposed on the use of money, especially black money to win elections which may result in the derailment of democracy. Eternal vigil is the prerequisite of democracy.