Delhi high court notice to Centre, EC & opposition on INDIA name | India News

NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC on Friday sought responses from the Centre, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and 26 political parties on a PIL against the opposition grouping alliance the acronym INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) as its name.

A two-judge bench headed by chief justice Satish Chandra Sharma issued notices to the Centre, ECI and the opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK and AAP, among others, on a petition filed by activist Girish Bhardwaj, and listed the matter for hearing on October 21.
Seeking a direction prohibiting the opposition alliance from using the acronym, the petition stated that the parties had named the alliance INDIA only to take undue advantage in the general elections in 2024, “and also to give a nudge or a spark which may lead to political hatred, which eventually will lead to violence”.

The plea cited the statements of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and contended that the opposition, by naming their alliance I.N.D.I.A., had tried to project that the NDA/BJP and PM Narendra Modi were “in conflict with our country”.
“The selfish act of these political parties may adversely affect peaceful, transparent and fair voting during the 2014 general election, which may expose the citizens to unwarranted violence and also affect law and order,” the PIL further stated.