India
‘Stand on your feet’: SC slams Ajit Pawar’s NCP for using Sharad Pawar’s photos in poll campaign | India News – Times of India
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan questioned the NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction over the use of founder Sharad Pawar’s name and told the party to fight the elections on the basis of their own identity.
“You are trying to stand on your feet now that you have an ideological difference with Sharad Pawar,” it said.
The bench asked Ajit Pawar to instruct the party members not to use Sharad Pawar’s photos and videos. The court added that voters are wise enough to see through any confusion, news agency ANI reported.
The Supreme Court had done this earlier but allowed the Ajit-Pawar-led NCP to use the ‘bell’ symbol in the coming period Maharashtra elections‘, had asked the party to place disclaimers in newspapers, including Marathi publications, clarifying that the use of the symbol remains under judicial investigation.
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When senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sharad Pawar’s group, expressed concern over the Ajit Pawar faction’s non-compliance and continued reliance on the veteran leader’s reputation, the court responded pragmatically.
The bench expressed confidence in the discernment of the voters and stated that they can distinguish between Sharad and Ajit Pawar. The court advised both factions to focus on their respective election campaigns, stressing that while court orders require strict compliance, the impact of campaign videos remains uncertain.
The hearing dealt with a plea filed by the Sharad Pawar group regarding alleged violations by the Ajit Pawar faction. On March 19, the court allowed Ajit Pawar’s group to use the ‘bell’ symbol under specific conditions, including public disclosure about the symbol’s disputed status in the upcoming elections.
The court had banned the Ajit Pawar faction from using Sharad Pawar’s name and images in campaign materials. This followed the Election Commission’s recognition of Ajit Pawar’s group as the authentic NCP, based on a legislative majority.
The Sharad Pawar faction was allowed to use ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Chandra Pawar’ as their party name and the ‘man-blowing turha’ symbol. The court stated that the Election Commission’s February 7 order regarding allotment of party names would remain in force until further notice.
