New Delhi, March 26 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday asked the Election Commission to respond to a plea for suspension of the recognition of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) as a political party over its alleged use of "hate language" against non-Marathis on its official website.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul directed the commission to examine the issue and come up with measures "to check political parties from promoting disharmony and feelings of enmity and hatred amongst people".
The bench saw the MNS website in court and observed: "You (Election Commission) are not doing your job properly. This kind of hate language is going on unhampered every day."
The court was hearing a petition filed by advocate Mithilesh Kumar Pandey, seeking direction to the commission to withdraw recognition of the MNS as a registered party for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
During the hearing, the bench refuted the commission's claim that it was a "law and order issue".
The bench remarked: "This offending material is still on the website. When will you act against it?"
The MNS on its website says: "Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will fight to its last breath to eliminate the interference of the non-Marathi power-mongers from outside the state in the state's politics and social life, thereby reinforcing the existence of Maharashtra for the Marathi Manus."
The bench took strong objection to the offending material and said: "Nobody can claim to itself any territory which is part of India. Every citizen has equal rights over every part of the country."
Asking the commission to give its response, the court posted the matter for March 28.
The plea, filed against the commission, the Maharashtra government, the MNS and party chief Raj Thackeray, said that MNS members have routinely made hate speeches against people from the northern states of India.
"They have disturbed communal harmony by making inflammatory statements against people belonging to different religions/region and distorted their impression of the Hindu religion/particular region and ideology."
"Additionally members of the MNS have engaged in mob violence, with explicit support and sponsorship of their party leaders, by attacking innocent civilians merely because of their religion or region or at time even because of their refusal to converse in a particular language," the plea said.
The plea also sought directions to the MNS and Raj Thackeray to disclose all financial contributions and income received by them along with the initiation of an investigation into the source of funding.
MP News: Calling the victim Dashmat Rawat as Sudama, the CM washed his feet wearing a shawl and said – you are my friend
Politics has heated up since the incident of a BJP worker shamelessly urinating on tribal Dashmat Rawat in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district. On Thursday, the victim Dashmat Rawat reached Bhopal Chief
Lok Sabha battle, overshadowed by Modi, ends Monday
New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) India's most bitterly fought parliamentary elections end Monday when the last lot of 41 Lok Sabha constituencies vote in three major states, bringing the curtains down on
Fresh Snowfall Shuts Srinagar-Jammu Highway
Srinagar, Feb 2 (IANS) Fresh snowfall Monday closed the strategic Srinagar-Jammu highway as the weather office forecast heavy snowfall during the next 24 hours."The Srinagar-Jammu highway has been
Nagpur violence: Curfew was imposed in 11 areas, and 33 policemen including three DCPs injured; Fadnavis said - the violence was pre-planned
Curfew has been imposed in 11 police station areas of Nagpur after violence erupted due to agitation over the removal of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb's grave. 33 policemen including three Deputy
Punjab, Haryana agree to make river pollution-free
Chandigarh, Feb 25 (IANS) The Punjab and Haryana government have agreed to make Ghaggar river pollution free by the end of the year, a senior Punjab government official said Wednesday."With the
India overtakes America in terms of speed of vaccination, know- how many have received vaccine so far
New Delhi (Online Desk). India has also accelerated the process of vaccination because of the rise in coronavirus infection. According to government data, so far, more than 8.70 crore (8,70,77,474)
Modi self destruct mantra of BJP: Congress
New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) The Congress Tuesday calling BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi the "self destruct mantra" of the party."Modi is the self destruct mantra of BJP. Last few
The Lord of the Rings series will be made in 8000 crores: budget of one episode as much as Brahmastra, Star Fee budget in Stranger Things-4 is 2100 crores
In the 5 seasons of the upcoming series The Lord of the Rings- Rings of Power, more than 1 billion dollars, i.e. about 8 thousand crores are being spent. Every episode of its first season has been
National Youth Day 2024: What is the theme of National Youth Day this time, know its meaning and history
National Youth Day 2024: India is a young country. Today is National Youth Day. National Youth Day is celebrated every year on 12 January in the country. This day is celebrated as the birth
'Can the president help fix my cancer?' (Feb 15 is International Childhood Cancer Day)
New Delhi, Feb 14 (IANS) "What is Rashtrapati Bhavan," asks Dharmesh, a blood cancer patient. Even as Mehroz, his teacher, prepares to explain, the eight-year-old shoots off another question. "Who
