Tribune News Service
Satya Prakash
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 said it could not 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 a notice to the Centre and the Election Commission on the PIL, posted the matter for hearing on August 3. During the hearing, it asked senior counsel Kapil Sibal and Rajya Sabha member to suggest a solution to the problem.
Sibal said the Finance Commission could be asked to suggest a way out.
