Prod SBI to furnish details on electoral bonds: retd civil servants urge ECI

The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a citizens' initiative comprising several retired senior civil servants, has issued an open letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to order the State Bank of India (SBI) to immediately release the details of donors to the electoral bonds scheme, which the Supreme Court recently struck down as “unconstitutional”.

While striking down the scheme, the Supreme Court had declared that "the electoral bonds scheme infringes on the right to information and freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution", emphasising that the scheme's purpose of curbing black money does not justify its violation on information rights.

The SBI on 4 March urged the Supreme Court to extend the time for collating donors’ data until 30 June, instead of the earlier deadline of 6 March.

"SBI’s denial to disclose information and indicating that it would not be available before the general elections seems to indicate that the SBI is shielding the government in power from any criticism that there was a quid pro quo between the bonds and favours given to some firms or
raids/intimidation to pressurise the corporates to fall in line,” CCG said in its letter to ECI, signed by 79 members.

Media portals like Newslaundry and News Minute have already published material linking 30 corporates and their purchase of bonds worth about Rs 335 crore in the last five years to the blatant misuse of enforcement agencies to make these corporates fall in line.

"The ECI should also make it clear that it will not announce the schedule for the 2024 general elections till the SBI furnishes this information. If the ECI remains quiescent, it will not live up to its Constitutional mandate of respecting the right to information of Indian voters and of holding free and fair elections on a level playing field. That would be a death blow for democracy in India as we know it," the letter reads.

In February this year, the CCG issued an open statement expressing concern at the 'growing influence of religion in state and society'. Signed by 65 retired IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), and IFS (Indian Foreign Service) officers, the statement expressed "deep disquiet about the manner in which the Indian state was closely associated with the consecration ceremony of the Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya on 22 January 2024".

In the past, the CCG has similar statements on matters of national relevance, including an open letter to President Droupadi Murmu in November 2023, regarding the controversy related to the autonomous functioning of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), intended to function as a government watchdog.