Criminal bonding in the corridors of power

Without Mincing by K Raveendran

In the murky corridors of power, where shadows and secrets coil like serpents, the tale of the BJP’s electoral bond conquest has unfolded and there can’t be a greater embarrassment for the ruling party and the government at this juncture when voting for parliamentary elections is only a month away. The Supreme Court, resolute and unyielding, has cast its gaze upon this labyrinthine scheme, revealing glimpses of a criminal intent that run through the scheme throughout.

In fact, the revelations about how BJP used the scheme as an extortion tool bring no surprise for those who have long dwelled in the twilight of political machinations. Civil society outfits had unfurled red flags and banners of warning from the very inception of this enigmatic venture. Their prophecy? A deluge of corruption, a torrential downpour that would drown the very foundations of our democracy.

The Election Commission and the Reserve Bank of India raised their voices in unison. The electoral bonds, shrouded in anonymity, were an affront to the very essence of democratic accountability. Unlike the open-handed alms of regular donations, these bonds wore veils of secrecy. The donor’s identity, once a beacon of transparency, now vanished into the abyss.

And so, the Election Commission sounded its clarion call: “Beware, for these bonds shall cloak our political landscape in shadows!” Transparency flickered perilously. The scheme, they warned, harboured the seeds of illicit funding, a serpent coiled to strike at the heart of our electoral process.

The Reserve Bank of India, its brow furrowed with concern, saw beyond the veil. The bearer bonds, seemingly innocuous, harboured a treacherous secret. While the purchaser’s identity stood revealed—a mere pawn in this diabolical game—the intervening figures remained masked, their intentions veiled. The trojan horse had breached the gates.

The RBI had warned of shell companies ruling the roost, and insisted that the contributions come by way of cheques, demand drafts, or digital transactions. But the government prevailed. There have been a number of accomplices in this organised loot, including the State Bank of India, which was mandated to administer the bonds. And all of them stand naked, thanks to the highest level of vigil shown by the Supreme Court.

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