Congress says people have right to know source of political funding in democracy

In today’s age, when everything is becoming digital and is being linked to Aadhar and PAN, how can the citizens not have such a right to know the source of political funding, writes ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi:The Congress on Monday questioned the Centre’s view that citizens had no fundamental right to know the source of funding for electoral bonds. “How is it possible? In a democracy, the citizens have a right to know the source of political funding. The political parties don’t operate in a vacuum. Democracy involves people. We had passed the Right to Information for transparency in governance and to empower the people. In today’s age, when everything is becoming digital and is being linked to Aadhar and PAN, how can the citizens not have such a right to know the source of political funding,” AICC functionary Manish Chatrath told ETV Bharat.

The Congress leader was responding to the Centre’s view that came in the form of a submission before a Supreme Court bench, which is hearing pleas from NGOs Association for Democratic Reforms and Common Cause seeking transparency in the electoral bonds scheme.

The Congress has been opposed to the electoral bonds scheme right from the day it was introduced on Jan 7, 2017, by former Finance Minister the late Arun Jaitley. Later, the Centre amended the Finance Act to exempt political parties from disclosing details of those who contributed to the electoral bonds in the reports that the parties must file with the Election Commission every year.

"Electoral funding has become opaque from that day. We had opposed it as it was passed as a money bill without discussion in the Rajya Sabha,” Congress media head Pawan Khera said. The Congress has been demanding total transparency in the funds received by the BJP and other political parties, saying that the information should be made public.

In its 2019 Lok Sabha manifesto as well as the 85th Plenary Session held in Raipur in February, the Congress had promised to scrap the opaque electoral bond scheme that is designed to favour the ruling party. Khera questioned the electoral bonds scheme citing a recent ADR report, which stated that the BJP had earned Rs 5,200 crore in the past two financial years through electoral bonds and that such funding was over 50 per cent of BJP’s total contributions received.

“The funding to BJP is three times the funding to any other political party. This happened without any questions, without answers, and without the country getting to know what is the quid pro quo. Who did you get this from? Why did you get this money? What did you give in return? There are no answers,” Khera said.

According to AICC functionary Gaurav Pandhi, who works in the office of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and sought public views over the issue, why can’t the electoral bonds be more transparent?

“Why can't electoral bonds be more transparent? Could it be that terrorist organisations or groups with anti-India interests are secretly funding the BJP, and they don't want the public to know? Is China possibly contributing to the BJP to keep Modi silent about incursions and the illegal occupation of our territory? If the government has the authority to inquire about people's sources of income, why shouldn't the public have a right to know the sources of funding for political parties,” said Pandhi.