New Delhi
The Delhi High Court has given the Centre and opposition parties one final chance to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) requesting direction to prevent the use of the acronym INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) by opposition alliances.
The court declined to advance the hearing in the PIL against opposition parties using the INDIA acronym, despite the petitioner’s request for an early hearing due to the upcoming general election scheduled by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The first phase of voting for the 2024 general elections is on April 19.
Justices Manmohan and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora stated that they would aim to hear and resolve the matter by April 10.
The ECI, in its response to the Delhi HC, stated that it lacks the authority to regulate political alliances. It clarified that its jurisdiction is defined by law and it can only regulate matters related to elections according to existing legislation.
Petitioner Girish Upadhya alleged that political parties are using the acronym INDIA with malicious intent, which could diminish the nation’s goodwill and potentially incite political violence. The plea emphasized the confusion that could arise if the alliance using the INDIA acronym were to lose in the 2024 general elections, potentially leading to unrest among citizens.
