On freebies, SC puts off panel formation, case referred to 3-judge bench

The Supreme Court's order referred to the 2013 judgement on the matter.

The Supreme Court on Friday referred the matter linked to freebies - amid political debate on the issue - to a three-judge bench. There can be no denying that in an electoral democracy, “the true power lies with the electorate and the electorate judges the parties and candidates,” the top court said, news agency ANI reported. The court's order was linked to a 2013 judgement on the matter.

(HT File)

Earlier this week, the court had observed that freebies would continue to destroy the economy unless a conscious decision was taken by all political parties to stop such hand-outs. It also said the issue of regulating electoral promises was “unmanageable” .

“Unless there is a conscious unanimous decision to stop (hand-outs), freebies will continue to destroy the economy...Whatever a committee says or we pass an order, no party will agree. It’s unmanageable. Therefore, all parties will have to discuss this and that’s why we (originally) proposed a committee,” the court said on Wednesday.

This was a day after the top court had said that it had taken up the issue with the “good intention” of facilitating a dialogue in Parliament. In January, former BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay had filed a petition in the top court. He had sought directions for issuance of strict guidelines to deregister errant political parties and seize their poll symbols for offering “irrational freebies”

Kejrwal - whose AAP has been promising free electricity for poll-bound states after implementing the models in Delhi and Punjab- had come under attack from the BJP leaders over the issue.

(With inputs from ANI)