Bank federation criticises SBI for seeking more time to disclose details of electoral bonds
SBI's reasoning that some of the data are stored in physical form and kept in sealed covers surprised many in the digital era especially in the banking sector when most of the information are available with click of a mouse
image for illustrative purpose
Mumbai: After the Opposition parties, a national bank union has come out against SBI seeking more time from the Supreme Court to submit details of donors as well as political beneficiaries of the now annulled electoral bonds scheme. In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, Hari Rao, the general secretary of Bank Employees Federation of India, said the federation unequivocally opposes utilisation of banks for political purposes. “SBI as a public sector bank should disclose and submit all the details of electoral bonds to the Election Commission...as directed by the apex court, since delayed justice is denial of justice," Rao said.
State Bank of India (SBI) on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking an extension till June 30 to disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by political parties. In its verdict last month, the apex court directed SBI to furnish the details to the Election Commission of India by March 6. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had said BJP's position on the electoral bonds scheme is "opaque, undemocratic and destroyed the level playing field". "The (Narendra) Modi government is using the largest bank of our country as a shield to hide its dubious dealings through electoral bonds," he had said.
According to Congress, all political parties put together received more than Rs 12,000 crore till last fiscal since the introduction of the electoral bonds scheme in 2017. The BJP alone got Rs 6,566.11 crore, which is 55 per cent of all electoral bonds, while the Congress got a measly 9 per cent at Rs 1,123.29 crore. Federation leader Rao said SBI's reasoning that some of the data are stored in physical form and kept in sealed covers surprised many in the digital era especially in the banking sector when most of the information are available with click of a mouse.
"Of late, it is observed that public sector banks and its personnel are being used for narrow political interest of the ruling forces, like in the cases of observance of the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, etc. "We express our strong opposition to such activities when the need of the hour is more recruitment in the banking industry and put a halt to looting of public money through various means," the statement said and expressed hope that the Supreme Court will take appropriate decision in this regard.
In a landmark judgement that delivered a big blow to the government, the Supreme Court on February 15 annulled the electoral bonds scheme for political funding, saying it violates the Constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression as well as the right to information. The apex court is yet to hear the SBI petition.
