The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has approached the Supreme Court, contending that a plea to prohibit political parties from promising or making any claims about providing free education, drinking water, and healthcare is not just untenable. but malafide too.
It sought to contest a PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, saying he has strong links to the BJP. The AAP also alleged that Upadhyay wanted to oppose welfare schemes, which have radically transformed the lives of the weaker sections of society, pointing out that the advocate had callously labelled such schemes as ‘freebies’.
"Providing free education, drinking water and healthcare is the constitutional responsibility of the government. However waiving corporate loans is a freebie," it claimed.
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It also said that by removing socialist and welfarist agendas from electoral discourse, the petitioner wanted to advance the interests of a different, more parochial kind of politics, reliant on caste and communal appeals instead of on appeals for the improvement of people’s welfare.
The plea contended that it is telling that the petitioner, despite claiming to be concerned about the fiscal deficit, ignored the vast fiscal losses to the exchequer caused by tax rebates, subsidies and other such ‘freebies’ routinely provided to big industries and businesses by the Centre and various state governments alike.
“Instead, the petitioner prefers that the burden of improving the fiscal health of the nation be imposed solely on the underprivileged masses,” it said.
On August 3, dealing with the PIL, the top court had suggested for expert bodies like the NITI Ayog, Finance Commission, RBI, and political parties and other stakeholders to examine the pros and cons of freebies announced during the polls, while maintaining that such promises have a significant impact on the economy.
A bench presided over by Chief Justice N V Ramana had said these are all serious issues related to policy and everyone should participate in the debate.