Highlights: India: legal battle after the abolition of the system of anonymous financing of political parties. The Supreme Court wants to end their anonymity, but the State Bank of India says it cannot provide the list of these donors. Some accuse the bank of deliberately dragging out the procedure in the middle of the electoral campaign. The Union of Bank Employees, like most experts, considered the requested deadline unreasonable. It has now been three weeks since the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the anonymous party financing system, or Electoral Bonds, adopted in 2017.

In India, will we finally know the donors of political parties? The Supreme Court wants to end their anonymity, but the State Bank of India says it cannot provide the list of these…

India: legal battle after the abolition of the system of anonymous financing of political parties

In India, will we finally know the donors of political parties?

The Supreme Court wants to end their anonymity, but the State Bank of India says it will not be able to provide the list of these donors for several months.

Some accuse the bank of deliberately dragging out the procedure in the middle of the electoral campaign.

Supporters of the BJP, India's ruling Hindu nationalist party, wear masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election rally on March 7, 2021 in Calcutta (Illustrative image).

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in Bangalore,

Côme Bastin

It has now been three weeks since the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the anonymous party financing system, or Electoral Bonds, adopted in 2017. Supposed to fight against money laundering, it was criticized for its opacity and the Court's decision, in in the middle of the national campaign, is a small bomb.

Read alsoIndia: the Supreme Court abolishes the system of anonymous financing of political parties

However, the State Bank of India, which manages these lines of accounts, asked this week for three months to provide the amounts and the names of the donors.

Enough to make those who have long campaigned for the end of this anonymity jump.

“

There is a unique number for each electoral voucher which allows its source to be traced

,” points out Jagdeep Chhokar, of the Association for Democratic Reforms.

How can we take several months to provide this information to the Supreme Court?
And why took so long to realize it?
This all looks like gross manipulation.
This does not match the reputation of the National Bank of India.

The Association for Democratic Reforms filed a complaint before the Supreme Court against the bank's inertia, which leaves many suspicions open while the party of

Narendra Modi

, the BJP, is the main beneficiary of the donations.

The Union of Bank Employees, like most experts, considered the requested deadline unreasonable.

India: legal battle after the abolition of the system of anonymous financing of political parties

India: legal battle after the abolition of the system of anonymous financing of political parties

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