The Supreme Court has made observations in a strong tone on the practice of political parties announcing the freebie before the election, saying people are “not willing to work” because of this and wondered whether the “class of parasites” was being created in the country.
Heard on the right to shelter being given to persons without houses in urban areas, a bench consisting of justices BR Gavai and AG Masih said people had been getting ration and money without working.
“Instead of promoting them to be part of the mainstream of the society by contributing to the nation’s development, are we not creating a class of parasites?” asked the bench.
Justice Gavai did not mince words when he quoted the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme in Maharashtra – for eligibility women aged between 21-65 in the rural areas with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakhs get Rs 1,500 per month – and similar programmes run by ruling parties in other states and said, “Unfortunately, these freebies, which just on the anvil of elections are declared, like ‘Ladki Bahin’ and other schemes, do not work into the minds of the people. They are getting free ration and money without doing any work.”
“We quite appreciate your concern for them but would that not be better being integrated into the mainstream of the nation to contribute to that nation’s development?” the bench asked.
He was interrupted by Justice Gavai, who went on to cite an example when Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the petitioners, said there was hardly anybody in the country who wanted to work if given work.
“You must be having only one-sided knowledge. I come from an agricultural family. Because of the freebies in Maharashtra which they announced just prior to elections, agriculturists are not getting labourers,” he said.
‘Need For Balance’
According to the bench, everyone agreed with Attorney General R Venkataramani on the issue of protection to the homeless, but the question arose, “At the same time, should it not be balanced?”
Then Venkataramani pointed out that the Centre was finalizing an urban poverty alleviation mission, which would soon address homelessness in cities. The bench asked the Attorney General for a timeline and also said the Centre should gather information from all states so that the issue could be considered on a pan-India basis.
When one of the petitioners said the cause of the homeless was not being addressed as it was last on the priority and that the authorities showed compassion only for the rich and not the poor, his arguments were shot down by Justice Gavai.
“Don’t make a political speech here. We won’t permit our courtrooms to be converted into (an arena for) political battle… How do you say the compassion is shown only for the rich? Even for the government, how can you say this?”
This very matter will now be up for hearing again after six weeks.
Though the Supreme Court hasn’t spoken on freebies for the first time, in December a bench consisting of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Manmohan was surprised when the Centre told them that 81 crores people were being provided free or subsidised ration under the National Food Security Act of 2013.
Speaking on migrant workers who have had free ration since the Covid pandemic, the bench said, “How long can just be free be distributed? Why don’t we work to create job opportunities, employment and capacity building for them?”
Nothing could be worse than a rejection by the Delhi High Court, whose observations also came on a day when the Supreme Court turned out to be seized with a similar matter concerning the freebies promised by the Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress, and the BJP for February 5 assembly polls in Delhi.
Justice SN Dhingra in his complaint said these kinds of promises made by the parties amounted to corrupt practices as per the Representation of People Act and sought directions from the Election Commission to declare them “unconstitutional.” The high court asked the former judge to move the Supreme Court when it was informed that the same case was pending there.
Even freebies have become political fodder, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacking the AAP, Congress, and other parties with the allegation that they are attempting to buy votes with “revdis.” In retaliation, the parties attacked the BJP’s government on beacons of inflation and unemployment, stating that there is nothing wrong with using taxpayer money to ease the lives of common people.
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