Elections have been subverted in the country through electoral bonds, the political funding mechanism, senior advocate of the Apex court Kaleeswaram Raj has said.
He was speaking on ‘the future of Indian federalism” at a function in Thrissur on Sunday organised by the CJS trust and the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad in association with the Kolazhy Library, to remember Prof C.J. Sivasankaran, a teacher and a KSSP activist.
“Corporates donate multi-crore election funds to political parties on conditions. The politicians in turn take policies in favour of them once they come in power. This is actually legitimising electoral corruption. This is the secret why some corporates are getting the airports and seaports. This will create serious repercussions on Indian democracy,” he said.
The idea of ‘One Nation-One Election ‘ is meant to sabotage federalism, he noted. Through this, elected State governments will be dissolved before they could complete their tenure. The entire concept of fair and transparent elections is being torpedoed here, he added.
“By blocking funds for States, which are in their bad books, and by giving surplus funds for those who favour them, the Centre is blatantly violating the federal principles of the country. Secularism and federalism, the basic principles of the country, are facing challenges,” he added.
KSSP president Kavumbayi Balakrishnan presided over. Guvuvayur Devaswom Chairman Dr. V.K. Vijayan delivered the CJS remembrance speech.
Prizes were distributed for winners of the oratory competition on ‘Contemporary reading of Indian Constitution’ held for college students.
