Political Reliance on Caste 'Dangerous for Country', Observes Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has observed that political parties relying on caste considerations are "equally dangerous for the country" as those using religion. The remark was made as a bench dismissed a plea seeking to cancel the registration of the AIMIM party. The court noted that a party's objective to work for the upliftment of backward sections, including minorities, is aligned with the Constitution, and there is no legal prohibition on teaching religious scriptures within the constitutional framework.
Unpacked:
The Supreme Court rejected the plea because AIMIM’s constitution aligns with the Indian Constitution and protects minority rights. The court noted that working for the upliftment of backward sections, including minorities, is not objectionable as per the Constitution, and AIMIM’s documents showed allegiance to constitutional principles.
The 'grey area' refers to the lack of clear legal provisions addressing political parties using religion or caste to seek votes. The court observed that, while seeking votes based on religion or caste is dangerous, current laws primarily target individual candidates, not parties, leaving ambiguity in how to regulate party-level conduct.
Political parties can declare objectives to uplift minorities or backward classes if their actions align with constitutional principles, including secularism. However, seeking votes explicitly on the basis of religion or caste is prohibited for individual candidates, as per the Supreme Court’s Abhiram Singh verdict. There is no explicit legal prohibition against parties having such objectives within the constitutional framework.
The Supreme Court allowed the petitioner to withdraw the plea and file a fresh writ petition addressing the broader issue of political party reforms. This means future legal challenges could focus on systemic reforms, such as clarifying laws regarding parties that use religion or caste, rather than targeting individual parties.