Didn’t receive any reference on Opposition questioning time of electoral bonds: Kiren Rijiju

Law Minister offers this answer in response to a query from DMK’s A. Raja in the Lok Sabha

The government on Friday said it received no “references” on the Opposition and civil society groups questioning the timing of sale of electoral bonds in the middle of recently held Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

In a written response to a question by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s A. Raja on whether the government had approved the 23rd tranche of electoral bonds while the Assembly elections were on, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha that the government had approved the electoral bonds.

“Yes sir, the Government had approved issuance of 23rd tranche of electoral bonds from 9th to 15th November, 2022, under the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018 (as amended vide Gazette Notification dated 7th November, 2022),” Mr. Rijiju said in his written reply.

Asked “whether Opposition parties and civil society groups had questioned the timing of approval of electoral bonds”, the Minister said, “No such references have been received.”