Level playing field a must

The Supreme Court’s unanimous verdict on the electoral bond scheme is historic. The apex court is right in calling the six-year-old scheme ‘unconstitutional’. It is commendable that the five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to disclose to the Election Commission the names of the contributors. The SC has rightly ruled that anonymous electoral bonds are violative of the right to freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Notably, in the six years since the scheme was introduced, more than half of the funds extended through bonds went to the ruling BJP. The scheme clearly failed to provide a level playing field.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee, Faridabad

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A win for democracy

The much-awaited verdict of the Supreme Court on the poll bond scheme is welcome. The opaqueness surrounding the contributions from corporates to various political outfits is unwarranted. It is good to see the apex court order the SBI to submit the details of the political parties that have received contributions through electoral bonds and ask the Election Commission to publish the information on its website. This judgment is historic and will have implications for the political system in the country. Further, it will go a long way in strengthening India’s democratic framework.

Deepak TAAK, Panchkula

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Strengthening ties

Apropos of ‘India-UAE bonhomie’; PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the Gulf country is a sign of the strengthening ties and bonhomie between the two nations that have economic and cultural bonds. The fact that it was PM Modi’s seventh visit to the UAE in nine years shows the importance that he accords to India’s ties with Abu Dhabi. This is reflected in his remark that he feels ‘at home’ while in the UAE. The 10 pacts inked by India and the UAE for collaboration in important sectors like energy, infrastructure and investments will take the bilateral ties to the next level. The inauguration of the Swaminarayan Mandir by PM Modi reflects the growing interfaith harmony and cultural homogenisation in the country that is home to 3.5 million Indians.

Ravi Sharma, Dhariwal

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A boost for economy

Refer to the editorial ‘India-UAE bonhomie’; PM Modi’s visit was important for improving India’s ties with the UAE. Collaboration in areas like energy, infrastructure and investments will give a big boost to the economy. Further, the signing of the agreement connecting the instant payment platforms — India’s UPI and UAE’s AANI — and a pact on interlinking domestic debit/credit cards are welcome. Besides, the inauguration of the Swaminarayan temple in Abu Dhabi showcases interfaith harmony among various communities.

Chanchal S Mann, Una

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Congress needs new leaders

With reference to the editorial ‘Sonia in Rajya Sabha’; the former Congress chief must have decided not to contest the Lok Sabha election from her home constituency of Rae Bareli this time because she has lost her vote bank. Resentment against the Congress leadership is growing in the party. As things go from bad to worse for the Congress, one cannot help but wonder how the INDIA bloc plans to stop the NDA juggernaut in the Lok Sabha elections. If the grand old party wants to survive in politics, it must find a new leader that can represent it at the national level, because the Gandhis are not able to do the needful.

MD Sharma, by mail

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Accept farmers’ demands

The way the government is treating the protesting farmers should concern us all. India continues to be predominantly an agrarian country. It is unfortunate that successive governments have sidelined the agriculture sector. Those in power cannot afford to remain mute spectators as so many farmers, who have been pushed to the wall, resort to dying by suicide. The growers’ demand for a legal guarantee for the MSP for all crops is justified. The government’s failure to accept the demand is indicative of the stepmotherly treatment being meted out to the farming community.

AG Rajmohan, Anantapur (AP)

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#Justice DY Chandrachud #State Bank of India SBI #Supreme Court