PIL on political funding: Supreme Court asks government, poll panel to respond

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has sought the views of the Central government on a petition challenging changes introduced by way of a money bill that allow ‘unlimited’ and ‘anonymous corporate’ funding of political parties through electoral bonds, including by foreign companies.

A three-judge bench led by CJI Dipak Misra acted Tuesday on a PIL filed by NGOs Association of Democratic Rights (ADR) and the Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL).

The government introduced the changes in February through amendments in the Companies Act, I-T Act, Representation of People’s Act, RBI Act and Foreign Contribution Regulations Act. Prashant Bhushan and advocate Neha Rathi, who appeared for NGOs, contended the amendments would undo all poll reforms undertaken so far to cleanse political funding.

It will bring about opacity in funding to parties, which have not agreed to submit themselves to the Right to Information Act, Bhushan argued.