NEW DELHI: It is very difficult to define what a “freebie” is and the Election Commission’s “hands are tied” on the issue as it is subjudice, CEC Rajiv Kumar said on Tuesday.
He also said it was “high time” that “accepted and legal answers” were found.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kumar was addressing a press conference to announce the schedule for the assembly polls in Delhi.
Asked about political parties announcing freebies during election campaigns, he said the matter was subjudice and referred to a court judgment that had held freebies were not “disallowed”.
“What is freebie for me may be an entitlement for someone else… It is very difficult to define what a freebie is,” Kumar said.
He, however, added that while such announcements were made, people should also be aware of the state’s fiscal health.
“It is necessary to see what is the fiscal health of a state… What is the debt-to-GDP ratio? How much will you borrow on that promise? How much is the financial cost of this promise?” Kumar said.
“…We cannot mortgage the future of future generations, this is a very very serious issue,” he said.
“Our performa is on our website, this is high time it is accepted and legal answers are found but our hands are tied at the moment because the matter is subjudice,” he added.
The CEC also urged candidates and political party leaders to refrain from making remarks against women and involving children during poll campaigns.
Kumar was asked about the recent comment made by BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri against Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Bidhuri, the BJP candidate from Kalkaji, sparked controversy when he had said he would make the roads in his constituency “like Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks”, if elected.
While not taking names, Kumar said the Election Commission would ensure no remarks were made against women when the Model Code of Conduct was in force.
“Any remarks against women should not be made, we have issued very strict guidelines… We condemn this but only when Model Code of Conduct is in place,” he said.
“Children should not be associated (with campaigns) at all… We will not allow anti-women remarks,” he added.
“On one hand we are trying to bring more and more women to the booth… If you speak in such a manner about mothers and sisters, it is shameful,” he said.
