SC Declines To Hear Plea Against Oppn Alliance Being Named I.N.D.I.A, Asks Petitioners To Approach EC

The apex court has asked the petitioners to approach the Election Commission for such matters, adding that court cannot hear the issue directly.

SC on plea against opposition bloc's I.N.D.I.A name.

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The Supreme Court has refused to hear the petition filed against the opposition alliance being named I.N.D.I.A. The court said that such kind of matter should be put before the Election Commission and that the Supreme Court cannot hear it. On raising the question of political morality on behalf of the petitioner, the court said that it cannot hear the morality of political parties. The petitioner informed the court that a plea is pending before the Delhi High Court pertaining to the opposition coalition's I.N.D.I.A name. 

Subsequently, the top court allowed the petitioner to withdraw the petition.

Earlier in August, the Delhi High Court issued notice to the Centre, Election Commission and several opposition political parties on a PIL seeking direction to opposition political parties to prohibit the use of the acronym I.N.D.I.A, a grand alliance of 26 opposition parties. This comes after BJP-led NDA attacked the opposition for using the name of the country to represent their bloc.

According to Live Law, a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Amit Mahajan issued notice and sought a response from the Central Government through the Ministries of Home Affairs and Information and Broadcasting, Election Commission of India and 26 political parties.

"This has to be heard. It requires hearing," the bench was quoted as saying by Live Law. Petitioner Girish Bharadwaj’s counsel made submissions after which the court listed the matter for hearing on October 21. 

In his plea, as per Live Law, Bharadwaj said he is aggrieved by “non-observance” and no action taken on the representation given by him to the Election Commission of India on July 19 against the 26 political parties who formed the new coalition.  

"That till date Election Commission of India did not take any action to prevent the respondent political parties to use the acronym I.N.D.I.A for their political alliance, hence the petitioner left with no other option, except to file this Writ Petition," the plea states, as per Live Law. 

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