New Delhi, July 26
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to seek the Finance Commission’s view on a petition seeking to stop political parties from offering freebies to influence voters after the Election Commission expressed its inability to regulate it.
While hearing a PIL filed by Delhi BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking to stop this poll-eve practice, a Bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana termed it a serious issue and asked Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj to seek the Finance Commission’s opinion.
“Why don’t you say that you have nothing to do with it and the Election Commission has to take a call? I am asking whether the Government of India is considering it a serious issue or not? Why are you hesitating to take a stand? You take a stand and then we will decide whether these freebies are to be continued or not,” the Bench told Natraj.
The Bench—which has already issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission on the PIL—posted the matter for further hearing on August 3.
During the hearing, it asked senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Rajya Sabha MP to suggest a solution to the problem. Sibal said the Finance Commission could be asked to suggest a way out.
“Finance commission is the appropriate authority to deal with it. Maybe we can invite the Finance Commission to look into this aspect. We cannot expect the Government of India to issue directions to states. This is not possible and this will create a political issue,” Sibal told the Bench
Upadhyay said if this practice of freebies was not stopped India could go the Sri Lanka way as states had more than Rs 70 lakh crore loan. He demanded that irrational freebies using public funds should be declared unconstitutional.
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