SC Verdict On Electoral Bonds: Desperate Modi govt using SBI to hide ‘dubious dealings’ says Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday attacked the Centre after the State Bank of India (SBI) moved the Supreme Court seeking more time to declare electoral bonds details, saying the Modi government was using India's largest bank to hide its “dubious dealings" and bulldoze the Supreme Court's decision on electoral bonds.

The Congress attack came day after the SBI sought time until June 30 to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties. In its verdict last month, the Supreme Court had directed the SBI to furnish the details to the poll panel by March 6.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said PM Modi was trying to hide the "donation business". In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi had said, “When the Supreme Court has stated that it is the right of the people of the country to know the truth about electoral bonds, then why does the SBI not want this information to be made public before the elections?" Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party position on the electoral bonds scheme is that it is “opaque, undemocratic and destroyed the level playing field" and “Modi government is using the largest bank of our country as a shield to hide its dubious dealings through Electoral Bonds."

Kharge said the current Lok Sabha tenure ends on June 16 and the BJP wants to furnish the details by June 30. “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," he said.

"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, adding, “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." "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, “On day of electoral bonds SC judgement, I had predicted delay, diversion & digression by govt/SBI in disclosing details.