SC: Ajit’s NCP can use the ‘clock’ symbol but with a disclaimer | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court allowed this on Wednesday Ajit Pawar faction from NCP to continue using the ‘clock’ symbol for the Maharashtra Assembly Elections after the deputy chief minister assured the court that he would publish a disclaimer in leading newspapers, including Marathi dailies, within 36 hours, stating that the legal battle with NCP founder Sharad Pawar over control of the party and its symbol is subjugation .
Senior advocate Balbir Singh appeared before Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan and gave an undertaking on behalf of Ajit Pawar after the court made it clear that the breakaway NCP faction would have to comply with the interim order passed earlier this year.
In an interim order, the apex court had on March 19 allowed Ajit’s faction to fight the hustings using the party name and symbol ‘bell’ but directed the Election Commission to recognize the rival faction as ‘NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar’ and reserve the symbol of man. blowing a turha (trumpet) for it. It had directed Ajit’s faction to mention in newspapers that the issue regarding the legal battle over the symbol was subject to the final outcome of the case. It said the faction should mention this in all its pamphlets or audio/video advertisements aimed at attracting voters.
“The respondents (NCP-Ajit Pawar) are directed to issue a public notice in the newspapers in English, Marathi and Hindi editions, indicating that the allotment of ‘clock’ symbol is sub judice and that the respondents may use the same subject matter of the final outcome of the proceedings. Such statement shall be included in any template, advertisement, audio or video clip issued on behalf of the respondent political party,” the court said in its judgment.
Recalling its order, the bench directed that the earlier directive should be adhered to in the ongoing elections also and posted a hearing next week to take stock of the Ajit faction’s compliance with its order. The court was hearing a plea filed by Sharad Pawar, who alleged that Ajit Pawar was creating “massive confusion” in the minds of the voters by using the bell symbol without any disclaimer to make the voters believe that his faction had links with the founder of the side. He said the Ajit Pawar faction is misusing the bell symbol in violation of SC’s interim order.