SC to hear pleas challenging issuance of electoral bonds on April 5

The Supreme Court has said it will hear the pleas challenging the validity of the Centre's decision on issuance of electoral bonds for political funding on Friday. 

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi told advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the petitioners, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an NGO, that the matter would be heard by an appropriate bench on April 5.

ADR had filed an application in the court seeking stay on the 2018 Electoral Bond Scheme, which was notified by the Centre in January last year. The NGO, in its plea, has said that amendments carried out in the relevant Acts have 'opened the



floodgates to unlimited corporate donations to political parties and anonymous financing by Indian as well as foreign companies. 

On 2nd February last year, the apex court had sought the Centre's response on a plea by the CPI(M) which had termed the issuance of electoral bonds by the government as arbitrary and discriminatory. 

The Centre justified the decision saying it would promote transparency in political funding. The Election Commission (EC), however, filed an affidavit in the court last month, saying that changes made in the law would have serious repercussions on transparency.