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Maharashtra poll | Supreme Court asks Ajit Pawar's NCP not to use Sharad Pawar's photos, videos: ‘Stand on your legs’
Supreme Court instructed Ajit Pawar's faction of NCP not to use photos and videos of Sharad Pawar as Maharashtra goes to polls next week.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday instructed Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) not to use any photos, videos or images of Sharad Pawar ahead of the Maharashtra assembly election on November 20. The court issued these instructions with compliance to its earlier order asking both sides to maintain their separate identities ahead of the polls.
The Supreme Court told the NCP to “learn to stand on its own legs” ahead of the assembly elections, and maintain the individuality of the parties.
“Learn to stand on your own legs, now that you have ideological difference with Sharad Pawar. Once you have disassociated from Sharad Pawar you shouldn't use his name, photo or video,” the apex court said, as quoted by Bar & Bench.
Posting the matter for November 19, the apex court said that it has full faith in the wisdom of voters who know whom to vote for, but the court did not discount the use of artificial intelligence to destroy a level playing field.
A Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said that both factions should focus on their side of the battlefield as the heated campaigning for the Maharashtra polls continues.
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This comes after Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sharad Pawar's NCP, told the court today that the veteran politician's nephew is still piggybacking on the goodwill of his uncle. Singhvi further asserted that Ajit Pawar's NCP is not complying with the orders of the Supreme Court.
The court further asked if the Sharad Pawar-led faction was questioning the voters' knowledge of the family rift.
Earlier, the top court had directed the Ajit Pawar-led faction to add a disclaimer in its election ads clarifying that the ‘clock’ symbol being used by the party is subject to the outcome of the ongoing legal battle with Sharad Pawar's NCP over the party symbol.
Ajit Pawar's party assured the court that it would publish a disclaimer in Marathi in the newspapers where his faction has displayed the symbol.
