The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, asked Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to publish within 36 hours disclaimers in newspapers, including Marathi dailies, stating that the use of the ‘clock’ symbol by the NCP remains a sub-judice matter.
A direction by a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta, and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan came as it was assured by senior advocate Balbir Singh, representing Ajit Pawar, that a disclaimer would be published within 36 hours.
“Why are you taking time to publish a disclaimer in newspapers? We are not giving you days, we are asking in how many hours you can do this?” asked the bench.
Initially, senior advocate Balbir Singh said that NCP was complying with all conditions imposed by the Supreme Court for the use of the ‘clock’ symbol and that the party has contacted newspapers to publish a fresh undertaking and within two to three days disclaimer can be published.
The bench, however, said, “Within 24 hours, maximum 36 hours, you publish a disclaimer in newspapers and make sure whatever you are relying upon, is there,” Justice Surya Kant told senior advocate Balbir Singh.
The advocate appearing for Sharad Pawar told the bench that the Ajit Pawar faction was destroying evidence by deleting the videos that were uploaded on social media without the disclaimers.
The photographs taken on November 1 from the Baramati constituency show that the posters of Ajit Pawar’s side have no disclaimers, the court was told.
Senior Pawar’s faction is being forced to come to the court again and again due to the repeated violations by Ajit Pawar, the court was told.
A fresh application was filed by the Sharad Pawar group alleging violation of the conditions by the Ajit Pawar faction.
On March 19, the top court allowed the Ajit Pawar faction to use the ‘clock’ symbol, with certain conditions, including that his party would issue a public declaration that the use of the ‘clock’ symbol by it for Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra Assembly Elections is sub-judice and subject to the outcome of the challenge made by the Sharad Pawar group to the decision of the ECI.
It had also asked the Ajit Pawar faction to not use the name and images of Sharad Pawar in its campaign materials.
Following a rift between the Sharad Pawar and the Ajit Pawar factions of the NCP, the Election Commission of India recognised the Ajit Pawar’s party as the real NCP based on its legislative majority and allotted the ‘clock’ symbol to it.
The top court had asked the Sharad Pawar faction to use the ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Chandra Pawar’s name for upcoming elections and the “man blowing turha” symbol.
Earlier, the top court had directed that the Election Commission’s order of February 7 allotting ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Chandra Pawar’ as the party name for the Sharad Pawar faction will continue till further orders.