Pune, April 30: Asim Sarode has served a notice to government-run India Security Press, Nashik urging it to take back the electoral bonds worth Rs 1 crore which it has allegedly printed even after the Supreme Court termed the electoral bonds as unconstitutional on February 15, 2024.

''I have served a notice to India Security Press, Nashik to take back the electoral bonds which it has printed after the apex court verdict on February 24, this year,'' Sarode said at a press conference held in the city on Monday.

Congress spokesperson Gopaldada Tiwari, Advocate Balkrishna Nidhalkar, City Congress vice president Subash Thorve, Dhananjay Bhilare, advocate Swapnil Jagtap and CA Prasad Zavare were present. Though the press conference was called by the Congress, Sarode said he was not member of any party.

''At the time of the Lok Sabha elections, the electoral bond scam came to the more. The Supreme Court had termed the electoral bonds constitutional and had reprimanded the central government. Though the Supreme Court had held the electoral bonds illegal and unconstitutional, Nashik Security Press had from February 15 to 21 printed electoral bonds worth Rs 1 crore and circulated in the market. Before the verdict, it had hurriedly printed electoral bonds worth Rs 10,000 crore bonds when the hearing in the case was in the final stage,'' he alleged.

Sarode said when the matter was sub judice, there was no need for the India Security Press to print the electoral bonds. ''The India Security Press, Nashik, which has made the electoral bonds available in the open market should take back the bonds. I have served a notice to it to the effect''..He said the information about electoral bonds has come to light through an RTI application.

Sarode said the fact that Nashik Security Press printed the bonds came to light through the GST that it has paid. ''However, it is not known as to who purchased the electoral bonds or to which party it was given...The Nashik Security Press has not given this information,'' he claimed.