Court Declines Urgent Plea on Political 'Freebies' Ahead of Delhi Polls

The Delhi High Court denied an urgent hearing on a plea against 'freebies' offered by political parties before Delhi assembly elections. The petitioner, S N Dhingra, claimed these schemes contravene Supreme Court rulings and constitute election manipulation. The court decided to hear the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the usual course of business.

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a request for an urgent hearing regarding a plea opposing the 'freebies' and cash-centric schemes unveiled by political parties before Delhi's assembly elections.

Headed by Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, the bench deferred the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for a standard hearing schedule, declining advocate S N Dhingra's appeal for an expedited process.

Dhingra criticized these actions, arguing they contradicted Supreme Court directives and disrupted fair electoral practices. His plea seeks a judicial declaration deeming cash-oriented schemes unconstitutional, accusing parties of leveraging them as bribes masked as election promises.

(With inputs from agencies.)