SUPREME COURT: ELECTORAL BONDS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO CURB BLACK MONEY, THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE MEANS WHICH ARE LESS RESTRICTIVE

The Supreme Court in the case observed that the purpose of curbing black money is not a sufficient justification to anonymise the identities of donors and the details of the contributions in the electoral bonds scheme.

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The Constitution bench comprising of the Supreme Court in the case observed and has held that the anonymous electoral bonds scheme violated the right to information of a voter guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India and struck down the same as unconstitutional.

Therefore, the Union Government defended the scheme which being on the grounds that it curbed black money as it ensured that the contributions were coming through banking channels.
The bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud in the case observed and has noted that the purpose of curbing black money is not traceable to any of the grounds under Article 19(2) of the Constitution of India.

The court stated that the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India can be restricted only on the grounds specified under Article 19(2) of the Constitution.