Bhubaneswar: Terming the Electoral Bond Scheme as “potentially the biggest corruption scam in the country”, Supreme Court Lawyer Prashant Bhushan called for a thorough probe by an independent body while attending a seminar here Sunday. The seminar ‘Electoral Bonds and our Right to Information’ was organised by Odisha Suchana Adhikar Abhiyan (OSAA) at Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan in the Capital City. Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, social activists and members of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) and Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) Anjali Bharadwaj and Amrita Johri were present in the seminar. “The Electoral Bond Scheme is potentially the biggest corruption scam in the country, which requires thorough probe by an independent body,” Prashant Bushan said adding that people have to take the lead to bring political reform. Electoral bond distribution to big parties disrupts the level playing field during elections with differences in funds among the political parties.
In addition to potential kickbacks, data suggest regulatory inaction on companies that donated through electoral bonds and reveal potential money laundering, with loss-making and shell companies donating funds to political parties. The experts demanded a court-monitored SIT into the Electoral Bond Scheme.