‘Electoral bonds is an experiment’: RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Sunday reacted to the concerns raised on the electoral bonds data, saying that it is just an “experiment”, adding that “questions are raised when a new thing comes up”. According to Hosabale, the electoral bonds were done with “checks and balances”.
“It is not that electoral bonds have suddenly been introduced today, it (such scheme) was brought earlier also. Whenever a change is introduced, questions are raised. Questions were also raised when the EVMs (electronic voting machines) were introduced…It is natural,” Hosabale, who was re-elected for the post of ‘Sarkaryavah’ (general secretary) of RSS earlier in the day, said during a press conference.
He added, “…But time will tell how beneficial and effective the new system is. Hence, the Sangh thinks it should be left for experiment.”
The Election Commission released the State Bank of India (SBI)-provided data on the electoral bonds on its website, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions on Thursday. According to the data, the donors included Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta, ITC, Mahindra and Mahindra, Grasim Industries, Megha Engineering, Piramal Enterprises, Torrent Power, Bharti Airtel, DLF Commercial Developers, Apollo Tyres, Lakshmi Mittal, Edelweiss, PVR, Keventer, Sula Wine, Welspun, and Sun Pharma, among others.
While, the parties that redeemed electoral bonds were – the BJP, Congress, AIADMK, BRS, Shiv Sena, TDP, YSR Congress, DMK, JDS, NCP, Trinamool Congress, JDU, RJD, AAP, and the Samajwadi Party.
Meanwhile, the poll panel made public fresh data on electoral bonds on Sunday after the Supreme Court’s order. “Data so received from political parties was deposited in the Supreme Court without opening sealed covers. In pursuance of the Supreme Court’s order dated March 15, 2024, the Registry of the Supreme Court has returned physical copies along with a digitized record of the same in a pen drive in sealed cover. The Election Commission of India has today uploaded the data received in the digitized form from the registry of the Supreme Court on electoral bonds on its website,” the election commission said in a release.
Notably, electoral bonds are money instruments that act as promissory notes or bearer bonds that individuals or companies in India can purchase. The bonds were issued specifically for the contribution of funds to political parties.
(With inputs from agencies)