SBI’s plea for an extension until June 30, defying the court’s March 6 directive, prompted strong opposition….reports Asian Lite News
The Congress criticised the Centre as the State Bank of India (SBI) sought an extended deadline from the Supreme Court to disclose electoral bond details, alleging Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s apprehension in divulging corporate donors.
SBI’s plea for an extension until June 30, defying the court’s March 6 directive, prompted strong opposition.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary (communications), condemned the government’s evasion tactics, highlighting the SBI’s crucial role in the “Pradhan Mantri Chanda Chipao Yojana.”
The Supreme Court’s directive to SBI to disclose donor and recipient details within three weeks was met with SBI’s request for an extended timeline, raising suspicions about the timing vis-à-vis the impending Lok Sabha elections.
Ramesh challenged SBI’s claim of data decoupling, citing the bank’s capacity to trace both buyers and beneficiary parties through detailed KYC processes and hidden bond serial numbers.
He questioned the rationale behind SBI’s current stance, contrasting it with previous instances where the bank swiftly facilitated bond encashment.
Ramesh dismissed SBI’s purported excuse as a thinly veiled attempt to shield bond donor identities.
The Congress had earlier accused the Modi government of leveraging SBI to obfuscate dubious dealings.
The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on February 15 striking down the electoral bonds scheme as unconstitutional further underscored the government’s accountability in political funding transparency.
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