HC declines to entertain plea to regulate corporate funding

The Delhi High Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea by an all-women political party seeking equal distribution, between all political parties, of funds donated by corporate entities.

Justice Siddharth Mridul before whom the plea came up for hearing said courts cannot interfere in such matters and asked the All India Women United Party to make a representation to Parliament.

The court said that while the grievance raised by the party may be genuine, the correct forum to address this issue was Parliament.

"For everything that ails the system, courts do not have the panacea," the judge said and asked the party, represented by advocate Nazim Ahmed, to withdraw the petition.

Ahmed, thereafter, withdrew the plea which had sought framing of rule under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 to manage, regulate and evenly distribute the corporate funds or donations given to political parties.

The petition also claimed that parties receiving funds from large corporates would be vulnerable to corruption.

Central government standing counsel Jasmeet Singh, during the brief arguments, opposed the plea and said there was already a provision under the Act which provides for declaring of funds received by a party.

The All India Women United Party moved the court as it desired to contest elections but did not have the funds to spend on poll campaigning.