The Andhra Pradesh High Court criticized the Election Commission of India for stopping financial assistance distribution through the DBT scheme. The court questioned the basis for this decision and expressed doubts about the ECI’s commitment to fairness. Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice R. Raghunandan Rao scheduled further hearings for June to address these concerns.
The court pointed out that the Election Commission must follow judicial orders and can be reviewed by the high court. Chief Justice Thakur questioned why the ECI did not follow the same standards as in 2019, allowing some schemes like Telangana’s Rythu Bandhu while stopping others like the DBT scheme. The court demanded an explanation for this discrepancy.
The ECI was asked to justify its decision to halt the DBT scheme despite a high court order to release the funds. The court also questioned senior counsel Nadkarni’s behavior for allegedly threatening the Registry with a House Motion Petition. Nadkarni apologized for his actions during the hearing.
Due to time constraints, the court postponed further discussions on the matter to June. This delay will give the Election Commission more time to respond to the court’s inquiries and allow for a more thorough examination of the situation.
