In this episode of ‘The Wire Wrap’, Sravasti Dasgupta is joined by independent investigative journalist Saurav Das and The Wire’s national affairs editor Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty.
The State Bank of India (SBI) has furnished details of electoral bonds purchased since 2019 after the Supreme Court dismissed its plea seeking an extension till June 30 to furnish details of all anonymous electoral bonds. The Election Commission of India also released the data on Thursday (March 14).
Meanwhile, the Election Commission is facing questions of transparency and independence after election commissioner Arun Goel resigned earlier this week without stating any reasons.
Four days after his resignation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee appointed two former IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, after the multi-member EC was down to only one member, the chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
On the day the Supreme Court asked SBI to furnish all details of electoral bonds, the Centre notified rules of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, after four years since the legislation was passed in 2019.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party is eyeing Assam and West Bengal by notifying the CAA Rules just before the Lok Sabha election, the rules and legislation are being challenged in the Supreme Court.
