SC to decide validity of electoral bonds before 2024 LS elections
Ahead of the 2024 general election, the Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to take up petitions challenging the Electoral Bonds Scheme for final hearing on October 31 after petitioners chose not to argue on the scheme being passed as a Money Bill.
At the outset, Attorney General for India R Venkatramani told a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud that one of the issues raised in the petitions against the Electoral Bonds was the issue relating to the Money Bill which was pending before a seven-judge Constitution Bench.
The CJI asked petitioners’ advocates if they would like to wait for it to be decided or press for hearing without arguing the point relating to the Money Bill.
On behalf of the petitioners, advocate Prashant Bhushan said while the Money Bill was one of the issues raised in the petitions, there were other issues to be decided independent of the Money Bill.
Contending that a corruption-free society was a facet of right to life under Article 21 (right to life and liberty), Bhushan said anonymous funding of political parties violated the Right to Information of the citizens as it promoted corruption by allowing companies benefiting from the government of certain parties to anonymously donate to those political parties.