Expressing approval for the Supreme Court’s decision, state spokesperson Surendra Rathi remarked, “Now we will know who donates.” Rathi saluted the Supreme Court’s ruling, emphasising that the power of the vote will now prevail over financial contributions.
He deemed the decision as a crucial move to safeguard the rights of both the ruling party and the opposition. According to Rathi, the electoral bond scheme previously disadvantaged all parties except the ruling party, creating an uneven playing field.
He cited figures indicating that the BJP received Rs 6566 crore in electoral bonds, while the Congress obtained Rs 1123 crore, Trinamool received Rs 1092 crore, BRS Rs 912 crore, BJD Rs 774 crore, and DMK Rs 616 crore. Rathi pointed out that the BJP garnered the most significant benefit from electoral bonds, securing 95% of its funding. He labeled this as evidence of what he referred to as Narendra Modi’s corrupt policies. Rathi further contended that electoral bonds had become a medium for bribery and commissions, and the Supreme Court’s decision confirmed this. The Aam Aadmi Party welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling, and Rathi urged the Election Commission to make all information received from SBI public on its website by March 13.
He criticized the Modi government for introducing the Electoral Bond Scheme as a money bill to avoid discussion in the Rajya Sabha, asserting that it failed to reduce cash transactions in politics. Rathi claimed that the scheme merely served to deceive the public, citing instances of large sums of cash being seized during elections as evidence.
