Decide on plea against ‘false’ claims in Samajwadi’s UP manifesto, HC asks EC

The Allahabad high court on Thursday directed the Election Commission to expeditiously decide a PIL charging the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh with making “false” claims of completion of a number of projects in its manifesto for the ongoing assembly elections in the state.

The Allahabad high court on Thursday directed the Election Commission to expeditiously decide a PIL charging the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh with making “false” claims of completion of a number of projects in its manifesto for the ongoing assembly elections in the state.

Samajwadi Party president and Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav, and his wife and party MP Dimple Yadav pose for the media during the release of the party’s manifesto for the upcoming assembly polls. (REUTERS File)

A division bench comprising Chief Justice DB Bhosle and Justice Yashwant Verma passed the order on the PIL filed by advocate Prabhuti Kant, who had alleged that the SP was trying to woo voters by “misleading” them with the claims of having completed projects like Taj Expressway, Yamuna Expressway and Lucknow Metro.

The petitioner had claimed that none of these projects were complete till date and, hence, the claims of the ruling party in the state in its election manifesto were “false” and “misleading” and tantamount to violation of Section 123 (2) of the Representation of the People Act.

The petitioner had also contended that immediately after the release of the party’s manifesto late last month, he had submitted a representation before EC but no action was taken on the same.

The court, while directing EC to decide the representation expeditiously, disposed of the PIL.