Meeting on political advertisements in Dec: Centre tells SC

New Delhi, Nov 17 (UNI) The Centre today informed the Supreme Court that a meeting, called by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry with states and other stakeholders to resolve the issue of paying for advertisements highlighting political leaders, will be held in the first week of next month.

A Bench, comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice C K Thakker and Justice R V Raveendran, was hearing a PIL filed by one Manzoor Ali Khan seeking directions to the Union Government that no state should pay for the advertisements taken out by political leaders to serve their own political interests.

The petitioner also contented that such political advertisements were an unnecessary burden on the public purse and amounted to sheer wastage of public money and the political parties concerned should pay for it.

The apex court, while adjourning the hearing till the first week of January next year, made it clear that in case no decision was taken by the state, the court would proceed to decide the issue on merits.

UNI AKS/SC HS RL DS1335