The Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar on Saturday said that the political parties must be held accountable for all the election campaign promises that were unfulfilled. Speaking at the ‘Economic Reforms with Reference to Electoral issues’ seminar, the CJI said, “Nowadays manifestos have become a mere piece of paper, for this political parties have to be made accountable.”
President Pranab Mukherjee was also present at the seminar wherein the CJI said that the parties give ridiculous excuses for unfulfilled promises like lack of consensus among the party members. Khehar also said that though people forget these memos after some time, the parties should be held for the lack of action on poll promises.
Mentioning the 2014 general elections, the CJI had said that there was no connection in the electoral reforms and Constitutional goal of ensuring economic-social justice to the marginalized section. The CJI also said that the Supreme Court will direct the Election Commission of India to form guidelines against letting the parties go free for violating the model code of conduct.
The Chief Justice’s words were reflected by the Justice Deepak Mehra, who said that the electoral reforms were mandatory. He also said that the purchasing power should not have any role in the elections and that contesting in elections is not an investment. He also stressed on the need of elections that have no involvement in criminalisation and corruption. To the people, he appealed that they should elect a candidate who has high moral and ethical values and not someone who has lesser demerits in the competing candidates.
He also said that the day voter realizes his actual power in the election will be a ‘glorious day’ in the history of Democratic India.
