Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 20 : Amid the Supreme Court's observations on the growing culture of political "freebies" before elections, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said the practice has become common across states, affecting development priorities. Reacting to the court's remarks, Ghosh stated that successive governments distribute benefits to attract voters instead of focusing on long-term growth.
Speaking tohere, Ghosh said, "It happens in every state; all parties do it more or less. Prime Minister Modi has also spoken out against this, saying that the funds meant for development should not be used for other purposes. But this has become a tradition. However, it's not that you win by doing this. Many lures were given in Delhi, but they couldn't win. Governments that are unable to bring about development work do this to attract people. This is being given in Bengal; look at the poor condition of the roads. There are no jobs, no income, and people have no money. This 'dole' politics is going on. In this, neither the people benefit nor the state, and eventually, it's not good for the party either," Ghosh said.
The remarks come after the Supreme Court on Thursday criticised political parties across the country for distributing freebies and flagged concerns over their impact on public finances. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant observed that excessive largesse could hamper economic development and questioned why states running deficits continue such practices.
"The economic development of the nation will be hampered by this kind of largesse distribution. Yes, it is the State's duty to provide, but the ones who are enjoying freebies... is it not something that should be looked at?" he said, adding that a significant portion of annual revenue should ideally be directed towards development.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi further clarified that the concern was not limited to one state but applied nationwide, suggesting that governments present clear budgetary justifications for welfare outlays, particularly unemployment schemes.
Ghosh also weighed in on the film 'The Kerala Story 2', saying cinema has a responsibility to present facts. "Seeing the truth, one feels that if there is hatred, then hatred is already there. Exposing it is the job of the cinema. The truth should be shown... If there is no truth, then oppose it. If there is truth, then people will accept it," he said.
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