NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing campaign in Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Nationalist Congress Party led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to publish a disclaimer in newspapers, including Marathi dailies, that allocation of "clock" symbol was sub judice.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan clarified that the court is not keen in giving the party days for it and instead asked it in how many hours the faction can do this.
Apex Court Sets 36-Hour Deadline Amid Symbol Dispute
The court had earlier too asked the Ajit Pawar group to give an undertaking to meticulously comply with the conditions fixed on March 19 and April 24 in this regard.
Sharad Pawar Challenges Ajit Pawar’s Use of NCP Symbol
Sharad Pawar group had challenged the Election Commission's decision of February 6, 2024 recognising the group by Ajit Pawar as the NCP and awarding it party symbol of 'Clock'.
Sharad Pawar is uncle of Ajit Pawar and has founded the NCP.
Appearing for Sharad Pawar, senior advocate A M Singhvi submitted that the clock symbol has been used by the patriarch for the last three decades and the symbol is closely associated with him.
Senior advocate Balbir Singh, for the Ajit Pawar faction, contended that his client was complying with all conditions, which were imposed by the apex court regarding the use of 'clock' symbol.
The bench, however, asked Singh, “Why are you taking time for publishing disclaimer in newspapers? We are not giving you days, we are asking how many hours you can do this?”
Singh said that it can be done within a few days.
The bench, however, made it categorical that the disclaimer should be published in newspapers maximum within 36 hours.
During the hearing, the bench also suggested the groups to 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 counsel representing the factions.
Sharad Pawar filed an application seeking to restrain the Ajit Pawar faction from using the 'clock' symbol in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
The apex court, earlier this year before the 2024 Lok Sabha election, directed NCP to include a disclaimer in all the campaign materials that the use of the 'clock' symbol is pending before the court.
Singhvi contended that the Ajit Pawar faction should not piggyback on his client and use any symbol other than the clock in the upcoming elections.
He claimed they keep saying Sharad Pawar is our God but they continued to violate the order passed by the court more than 6 months’ ago. Singhvi pointed out that they have banners without the disclaimer.
The bench said it will give 36 hours maximum to the other side to publish the disclaimer in the dailies, and pointed that its order regarding the symbol has been already tested in one election.
“Winning the election is no answer, I will win despite this. I will win much more,” Singhvi claimed on behalf of Sharad Pawar.
Singh accused Sharad Pawar side of frequently changing the goalposts.
“They have filed nominations and we have filed nominations, and the election after 10 days’ and they say stop it. They bury democracy,” he said.
The court fixed the matter for further hearing next week.
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