Delhi HC asks poll panel to decide over MNS suspension

New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Tuesday asked the Election Commission to take a decision expeditiously on a representation seeking suspension of recognition of the MNS as a political party for its alleged use of "hate language" against non-Marathi people on its website.

The court was hearing a petition filed by advocate Mithilesh Kumar Pandey, seeking direction to the commission to withdraw recognition of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) as a registered party for violating the model code of conduct.

A division bench of acting Chief Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul asked the advocate to file a representation before the Election Commission within two days, which would decide it "expeditiously" in accordance with law pertaining to violation of the code of conduct by the MNS.

The bench also asked the Election Commission to apprise the the petitioner of the decision taken by it and further granted liberty to the poll panel to approach the court if aggrieved.

The MNS on its website said: "The MNS will fight to its last breath to eliminate the interference of the non-Marathi power-mongers from outside in the state's politics and social life, thereby reinforcing the existence of Maharashtra for the Marathi manus (people)."

The plea, filed against the commission, the Maharashtra government, the MNS and its chief Raj Thackeray, said the MNS members have routinely made hate speeches against people from northern India.

"They have disturbed communal harmony by making inflammatory statements against people belonging to different religions/regions and distorted their impression of the Hindu religion/particular region and ideology," it said.

"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 times even because of their refusal to converse in a particular language," the plea said.