New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (November 6) directed the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to publish within 36 hours a disclaimer that the issue of allocation of “clock” symbol was pending in court in newspapers, including the Marathi dailies.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan directed this while hearing a plea filed by the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP seeking to restrain the rival faction from using the “clock” symbol.
Apex court earlier allowed Ajit Pawar faction to use ‘clock’ symbol with disclaimer
The apex court had earlier allowed the Ajit Pawar faction to use the “clock” symbol in its publicity material in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections with a disclaimer that the matter was sub-judice before it. The court had also directed Ajit Pawar to file a fresh undertaking over its directions issued in March 19 and April 4 orders to issue a public notice saying NCP’s “clock” symbol is sub-judice was being meticulously complied with even during the process of the Maharashtra assembly elections.
What did the Sharad Pawar faction submit?
Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared for the Sharad Pawar faction, submitted before the bench that the “clock” symbol had been associated with Sharad Pawar for the last 30 years and the Ajit Pawar faction was trying to misuse it and sought a direction to the rival faction to seek a new symbol. He further submitted that there was repeated violations of the court order by the Ajit Pawar faction on use of the “clock” symbol.
What did the Ajit Pawar faction submit?
Senior advocate Balbir Singh, who appeared for the Ajit Pawar faction, claimed that it was complying with the conditions imposed by the apex court on use of “clock” symbol and said that the faction has contacted newspapers for publishing fresh undertaking.
The bench asked Singh why the party was taking time in publishing disclaimer in newspapers and directed the faction to publish a prominent disclaimer in the dailies within 36 hours.
You both should go and be with the voters to woo them, bench told counsels representing both factions
The bench, during the hearing, also suggested both the factions to not waste their energies in court and focus on voters instead.
“Don’t waste your energy in courts. You both should go and be with the voters to woo them,” the bench told the counsels representing both the factions.
