Hours after the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Adish C. Aggarwala wrote a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to intervene on the recent Supreme Court judgment on the electoral bonds scheme to protect the corporate houses who have funded political parties, the Association’s executive committee has issued a statement dissociating itself from the plea.
Aggarwala’s letter seeking presidential intervention to hold back the top court’s order on the electoral bonds case – an unusual move – came across as an attempt to protect the interests of corporates who have contributed funds to political parties. The highest percentage of corporate donations through the scheme was given to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On March 12, the SCBA executive committee, through a resolution, condemned the move and called it an attempt to undermine the Supreme Court’s authority. SCBA honorary secretary Rohit Pandey, in a written resolution of the committee, said the letter appeared to have been written by Aggarwala in his capacity as the chairman of the Association. “However, it is noticed that below his signature on that letter he has inter alia mentioned his designation as president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.”
“Therefore, it has become expedient for the executive committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association to make it abundantly clear that the members of the committee have neither authorised the president to write any such letter nor do they subscribe to his views as expressed therein.”by Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty
14/03/2024