MyVoice: Views of our readers 7th March 2024

SBI hand in glove with BJP

The State Bank of India’s pray for seeking to defer the disclosure of the Electoral bonds details is nothing but outright contempt of Supreme Court. Experts say that the 44,434 automated data entries of donors can be divulged in and matched in just 24 hours and data is available in Bombays main SBI branch and it is ridiculous on SBI’s part that saying the time line of three weeks fixed by the Supreme Court would not be sufficient for the entire process to be completed. The SBIs move to seek more time has attracted criticism from opposition parties. The issue of Electoral bonds has now become a major election issue, so the Government and SBI are desperate to release the information only after the Lok Sabha Elections. But people wants to know who were the real benefiters, before the elections and who has done quid- pro- quo? The SC has struck down the Centres Electoral bonds scheme for political donations calling it an “unconstitutional”. The BJP received nearly 80% of total donations . Donations made to the BJP through electoral bonds were three times more than that of all other parties. The scheme had legitimised high- level corruption at an unprecedented scale of removing funding limits for corporate donors and by opening a backdoor for the funds of Indian elections by foreign interests and lobbyists. Now it is ridiculous on SBIs claiming that it needs four months time to match the purchases and redeems information for over 22000 bonds. The Government and SBI are following the division tactics on the Supreme Courts judgement. The SBI and the Government wants to release the information only after the Lok Sabha Elections. It proves that the public sector bank SBI is bending over backwards to ensure that the BJP donors list remains undeclared. Moreover BJP party knows that if at all the list of donors now declared, then the winning prospects of BJP before elections will be badly affected.

Zakir Hussain, Kazipet,Telangana

II

The reason why the State Bank of India has sought for an extension until June 30, 2024 to provide information on electoral bonds to the Election Commission is not far to seek. The disclosure of the names of the purchasers, the value of the bonds and their recipients could prove embarrassing and disadvantageous to the BJP and deplete its political capital. The SBI has submitted that the exercise of ‘decoding, compiling and comparing’ 44434 ‘information sets’ is time-consuming. But technology is so advanced that the three weeks given by the apex court is ample time to follow the March 6 deadline. In fact, in this digital age, the information is just a mouse-click away. It is pertinent to ask if the SBI has requested for the extension of time to share the information with the Election Commission under duress or on its own to be in the government’s good books. What explains the petition for extension of time to make the details of electoral bonds public is that the revelation of the identities of the entities that have made the political donations to the BJP will put the focus on how the Modi government has favoured them and expose the “quid pro quos”.

G.David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Civil society must rise above politics

Hate sells. Therefore all political parties engage in hate if it suits their political ambitions and strategy. Morality has no place in the rough and tumble of modern day politics. But in a democracy, the party in government has the greater responsibility. Those living in the state of TN are not objecting to the remarks of the DMK as much as the others are doing. The Congress is silent on these remarks, just as the BJP is silent on the remarks made by their own leaders in eulogizing Godse. Why should the Southern states be castigated if they refuse to accept Bharat ma as long as they accept the fact that their states are part of the integral territory of India? When it comes to the media all governments would like to control the flow of information. It is up to civil society to nix all plans of the parties in power in controlling the media.

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Beware Lawmakers

A five-judge Supreme Court Bench through 3:2 verdict had granted immunity to lawmakers who accepted bribes for voting in Parliament and speaking on a subject, both related to no-confidence motions. This followed a CBI report accusing JMM lawmakers of accepting bribe to save the minority government headed by PV Narasimha Rao in 1991. The other day this verdict was overturned unanimously by a 7 judge-bench comprising the Chief Justice of India. The unanimous order by the apex court, not only restores ethics and propriety in functioning of Indian democracy, but also provides much-needed fillip to rule of law in the nation.

Dr. George Jacob, Kochi