Were INDIA Bloc Parties to win 2024 elections, a Judicial Enquiry Commission should be set up to enquire into the electoral bond scam – said to be the biggest financial scam in post-independent India. Ministers in the present government including the Home Minister, Prime Minister would need to be questioned by the Commission; as also senior bureaucrats; corporate houses and businesses; corporate media – both print and T.V; the banking and financial institutions. The acts of omission and commission by all of the above entities/ individuals in the conspiracy which resulted in this scam would need to be investigated.
The amazing part of the whole thing is that following statutory/ constitutional/ autonomous bodies as also the Public Sector Banks; the controlling union ministries; the regulators have taken not a single step till date to address the issue:
1. NIA 2. CBI 3. IT Department 4. ED 5. CVC 6. SEBI 7. RBI 8. SBI 9. CAG 10. ECI
Apparent is the collusion of these entities in the larger conspiracy to keep the culprits at bay so that the 2024 General Elections pass off with benefit to the present ruling party at the centre.
Whither Indian Judiciary
In 2019 the Supreme Court refused to give an interim stay on the electoral bond case. Presently in 2024 the Supreme Court is aware of the public demand for SIT but the court has not obliged so far. If pressure on the judiciary continues, it may adjudicate the matter by the time the next general elections in 2029 take place!
The present Prime Minister and Home Minister are unlikely to appear before the proposed Judicial Enquiry Commission; they would take a cue from Indira Gandhi and Pranab Mukerjee who did not appear before the Shah Commission!!! Bureaucrats alone will get scapegoated; and axed, too.
The emerging scene is grim. Ten TMC leaders protesting at the office of Election Commission of India, New Delhi on 8th April were detained by police. TMC Netas were demanding a level playing field and removal of heads of NIA, CBI, ED and Income tax Department.
P. S. Sahni is a member of PIL Watch Group.
