Supreme Court asks political parties to give details of funding through bonds

FILE PHOTO: A man walks inside the premises of the Supreme Court in New Delhi, India, July 17, 2018. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Supreme Court on Friday asked political parties taking part in ongoing elections to provide details of funds received through electoral bonds.

In 2017, India proposed these bonds as a transparent way for political funding. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has received most of the funds flowing through the bonds, according to a court filing by the Election Commission.

Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said political parties must submit in a sealed cover precise details of their funding by May 15.

Modi is seeking a second term in an mammoth election that began on Thursday.

(Reporting by Suchitra Mohanty; Writing by Mayank Bharadwaj; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)