After ADR, CPI(M) approaches SC with contempt petition against SBI for not adhering to electoral bonds judgement

New Delhi: After the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the CPI(M) has approached the Supreme Court with a contempt petition against SBI for "wilful disobedience" by not adhering to a judgement asking it to provide details of electoral bonds.

The contempt petition filed by CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury on behalf of the party on Friday also claimed that the SBI has deliberately misconstrued the directions of the apex court to claim practical difficulties in matching information about those who bought the bonds and those who encashed it.

Citing difficulties, the SBI had on March 4, just two days before the deadline, approached the apex court seeking time till June 30 to furnish the details asked to be made public.

The main petitioner ADR soon approached the Supreme Court with a contempt petition claiming that SBI's attempt is to "ensure that the details of the donor and the amount of donations are not disclosed to the public before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections”.

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear the SBI plea seeking more time to disclose details of electoral bonds. The contempt petitions are also likely to be taken up on Monday.

The petition by the CPI(M), which has also petitioned against the electoral bonds which were declared unconstitutional on February 15, said the court has not given any specific direction to tally the details of buyers and those who redeemed it though it is desirable.

It also said that at no point the SBI claimed that the details of buying and redemption are not readily available with it.

The CPI(M) in its petition said that it believes that decoding can be carried out by SBI in real time and it is for this reason that the SBI has carefully drafted the application to confuse the court.