Delhi HC junks PIL against parties offering cash in manifestos

New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday turned down a plea seeking to declare cash transfers or such promises by political parties in election manifestos as a corrupt practice under the Representation of People Act's Section 123."We find no merit in the petition. We, therefore, dismiss the writ petition," said a bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Navin Chawla while nixing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).A detailed order will be made available later, it said.The court was hearing the PIL filed by advocates Parashar Narayan Sharma and Capt Gurvinder Singh seeking offering cash without any work in election manifestos has to be declared illegal. On September 15 last year, the high court queried the Election Commission as to why it hasn't taken action against political parties, which violated guidelines on corrupt practices and offered cash transfers to voters in their manifestos.It also sought a response from the Centre on the petition, which petition pointed out that the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party, in the 2019 general election, offered cash to certain sections of the society. The Congress had announced Nyuntam aay Yogyna, or the NYAY scheme. The high court issued notice to both of these parties.
--IANS jw/vd

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