Supreme Court : Promises of freebies in elections is a serious matter
New Delhi – The Supreme Court heard a petition about banning freebies during election season. BJP leader Advocate Shri Ashwini Upadhyay filed the petition. The Court ruled that giving promises such as free water and free electricity is a serious matter in elections and it costs a lot of money. It further stated that no direction or order would be given on this petition today. After hearing all arguments, we will pass the order. On 17th August, this petition will be heard again.
PIL against freebies: Need to strike a balance, says SC https://t.co/AYoNpUAeMk
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1. N.V. Ramana, Chief Justice of India, said during the hearing “Nobody is saying this is not an issue. This is a serious issue. People who are getting benefits may say this is a welfare state, and we are entitled to this. People who are opposed may say we are paying tax…and it has to be spent on developmental activities, and not for distributing it in whatever way parties want.”
2. An arbitration petition was filed by the Aam Aadmi Party, and its advocates argued that the public interest and freebies are two different things. In response, the Court said that we should also consider how it will affect the economy.
| Editorial viewpoint
Election Commission itself should ban such promises now. |