NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday issued notice to the Centre, the Election Commission of India (ECI), and 26 opposition parties on a plea to restrain the use of the acronym I.N.D.I.A (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) for the opposition alliance.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma sought the response of the political parties and the election watchdog to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one ‘activist’ Girish Bharadwaj, in which he claimed that the alliance “want to take undue advantage” of the country’s name for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections-2024.
The bench also comprising Justice Sanjeev Narula posted the matter for further hearing on October 31. “We have so many cases. Let them respond. We will definitely look into it,” the bench remarked orally during the hearing.
Referring to opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, the petitioner said, they used the “name of our nation and tried to show that the NDA/BJP and PM Modi is in conflict with our own nation”.
Petitioner claimed that the opposition parties want to take undue advantage in the name of the country and ‘create confusion’ among people. “respondent political parties are only to attract and gain sympathy and votes of the innocent citizen and to use as a tool for political benefit and also to give a nudge or a spark which may lead to political hatred which will lead to political violence,” it stated.