New Delhi: Supreme court Issued notice to Center and Election Commission of India on Tuesday public interest litigation Seeking to curb mindless freebies announced by political parties on the eve of elections, which could potentially put a huge financial burden on the state exchequer, most of which are already burdened with severe debt.
A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justice AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli The counsel considered the PIL filed by petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay after hearing his counsel Vikas Singh, who argued that declaration of freebies by political parties is a sure recipe for breakdown of financial health of states.
The CJI-led bench referred to the 2013 Supreme Court judgment in the S Subramaniam Balaji case in which the court scoffed at the declaration of pre-poll freebies even though it termed these as corrupt electoral practices. The Supreme Court asked the Center and the Election Commission to specify in two weeks what steps they are contemplating to take to regulate freebies given during election campaigns.
Singh said the finances of the states, some with a debt burden of Rs 3 lakh per capita, would collapse as political parties compete with each other in giving monthly allowance to all women. He asked who would give this extra burden.
The court termed the freebies as a serious issue which could affect the electorate and affect the fairness of the elections.
A bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justice AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli The counsel considered the PIL filed by petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay after hearing his counsel Vikas Singh, who argued that declaration of freebies by political parties is a sure recipe for breakdown of financial health of states.
The CJI-led bench referred to the 2013 Supreme Court judgment in the S Subramaniam Balaji case in which the court scoffed at the declaration of pre-poll freebies even though it termed these as corrupt electoral practices. The Supreme Court asked the Center and the Election Commission to specify in two weeks what steps they are contemplating to take to regulate freebies given during election campaigns.
Singh said the finances of the states, some with a debt burden of Rs 3 lakh per capita, would collapse as political parties compete with each other in giving monthly allowance to all women. He asked who would give this extra burden.
The court termed the freebies as a serious issue which could affect the electorate and affect the fairness of the elections.
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