NEW DELHI: The hearing on the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol case began before the Election Commission (EC) on Monday, with T T V Dhinakaran faction challenging the veracity and authenticity of the documents submitted by the other faction.Battery of lawyers from both sides -- C S Vishwanathan and K V Vishwanathan from EPS-OPS team and Ashwini Kumar and Vijay Hansaria from Dhinakaran faction -- were at the poll panel’s office for the hearing.
Sources said lawyers of Dhinakaran faction challenged the affidavits filed by the other side and also brought some witnesses. However, the EC did not allow any cross-examination as it said that only written submissions would be considered.“There is no material to actually decide the matter of the majority unless the authenticity of the affidavits can be determined by the EC,” said senior lawyer and former law minister Ashwini Kumar, adding that majority support under the party Constitution can also be considered on the basis of the support of the primary members, not just on the basis of General Council (GC) members.
The EPS-OPS camp said they have submitted the affidavits of 1,877 GC members. Nothing is forged and all those members still stand with the affidavits.“If the other team feels the affidavits are forged, why haven’t they filed a police complaint? It is just a delay tactics from their side,” said a lawyer from the EPS-OPS camp.
Counsel for EPS-OPS side and former MP Manoj Pandian said that the other faction is only trying to delay the matter by questioning the authenticity of the affidavits. “Despite their efforts to delay, we shall get the symbol,” he said after the hearing.The next hearing in the case has been fixed for October 23, said an official.