A journalist who had raised doubts about the accuracy of data provided by the State Bank of India (SBI) regarding electoral bonds has now acknowledged her error. Poonam Agarwal previously asserted on social media that she had only purchased electoral bonds in 2018, but official records revealed a purchase in 2020. However, she recently admitted that she might have overlooked her bond acquisition in 2020, citing the disruption caused by the Covid pandemic that year.
Also Read: Forbes Top 10 richest people in the world
Poonam Agarwal’s Response to Electoral Bond Confusion:
“In a post on X, Poonam Agarwal stated that she stumbled upon a video she recorded at The Quint, where she displayed an Electoral Bond dated 20/10/2020. While she initially recalled purchasing bonds only in 2018, she admitted uncertainty about the 2020 purchase, suggesting that a unique number could clarify any confusion. Agarwal urged refraining from questioning the SBI data until further verification. She attributed her forgetfulness to her own memory lapses, citing the overwhelming events of the COVID outbreak year in 2020. Agarwal expressed regret for any confusion caused by her lapse in memory.”
Controversy over Electoral Bond Data: Journalist Challenges Accuracy
Independent journalist Poonam Aggarwal contested the accuracy of data related to electoral bonds, a scheme introduced by the BJP government in 2018 to enable anonymous donations to political parties. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the scheme in January and instruct the State Bank of India (SBI) to disclose all donation details from the past five years, Aggarwal asserted that the data misrepresented her bond purchases. She clarified that she had bought two bonds totaling ₹ 1,000 each in April 2018. However, the information available on the Election Commission website indicated the same purchase in her name but dated October 2020.
Also Read: Royal Family Website Delete Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Personal Biographies