6 days ago
Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Political Cash Donations
The Supreme Court will hear a case about cash donations to political parties.
Current rules allow parties to receive cash amounts smaller than Rs 2,000.
Khem Singh Bhati says donors should not be able to give money anonymously.
He believes voters need to know who is funding political parties.
This information could help voters make informed choices in elections.
He wants parties to disclose donor names and other details.
He also wants parties to stop accepting cash donations.
The petition asks election and tax authorities to check party reports and filings more closely.
The hearing is scheduled for August 31.
The Supreme Court will hear on August 31 a plea challenging political parties’ ability to receive cash donations below Rs 2,000.
Petitioner Khem Singh Bhati argues anonymous political funding violates voters’ right to information and undermines election transparency.
The plea seeks to invalidate Clause (d) of Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, as unconstitutional.
Bhati wants donor names and other payment details disclosed, and a ban on cash donations made a condition for party registration and election symbols.
The petition also seeks scrutiny of Form 24A reports, political parties’ tax filings and audit reports, citing the Supreme Court’s 2024 electoral bonds judgment.
- Who
- The Supreme Court bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta will hear a plea filed by Khem Singh Bhati.
- What
- The plea challenges the provision allowing political parties to receive anonymous cash donations below Rs 2,000.
- Where
- The matter is before the Supreme Court in New Delhi.
- When
- The hearing is scheduled for August 31; the court agreed to hear the petition on November 24 last year.
- Why
- The petitioner says undisclosed political funding violates voters’ fundamental right to information and weakens election transparency.
Key facts
- Hearing date
- August 31
- Bench
- Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta
- Petitioner
- Khem Singh Bhati
- Challenged provision
- Clause (d) of Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961
- Cash donation threshold
- Below Rs 2,000
- Requested disclosures
- Donor names, addresses and PAN details
- Related judgment
- The Supreme Court’s 2024 judgment striking down the electoral bonds scheme
Quotes
Khem Singh Bhati
Petitioner who challenged the cash-donation provision
“The petitioner is seeking direction that the political parties must disclose the name and all other particulars of the person paying any amount of money to it, and no amount can be received in cash so as to maintain transparency in the political funding.”
thehansindia.com
deccanchronicle.com
“The injury to the public is the violation of the fundamental right to information of the voter, as guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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