The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Central Government, Madhya Pradesh Government, Rajasthan Government, and the Election Commission of India in response to a PIL alleging the distribution of cash and freebies at the expense of taxpayers. The court has given them four weeks to file their responses. The PIL claims that both state governments misuse taxpayer funds to entice votes.
The petitioner’s counsel argues that it is wrong for the government to give out cash and free items before elections because it ultimately falls on the taxpayers. The court has tagged this PIL with another pending plea on the same subject.
CJI DY Chandrachud acknowledges that many promises are made before elections, but they have no control over them. The bench directs the petitioner to include the government, the RBI, the Auditor General, and others as main parties in the case. They have issued a notice and expect a response within four weeks.
