The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Centre, Election Commission and several opposition political parties on a PIL seeking direction to opposition political parties to prohibit the use of the acronym I.N.D.I.A. for their alliance. The new alliance name was revealed after 26 opposition parties convened in Bengaluru for the second of such meetings to contest against the BJP-led NDA government in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The PIL was filed by an activist Girish Bharadwaj through advocate Vaibhav Singh. The plea contended that the statements of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have presented the name of their alliance as the "name of Our Nation and tried to show that the NDA/BJP and Hon'ble Prime Minister Mr. Modi is in conflict with our own Nation".
"Rahul Gandhi's statement has created confusion in the minds of the common people that the upcoming elections will be fought between an alliance (NDA) and the country (INDIA)," the petitioner further said, as per a report by Bar and Bench.
It further states that the parties have kept the name of the alliance as I.N.D.I.A. only to take "undue advantages" in the upcoming general elections in 2024.
“…these all practice to use acronym I.N.D.I.A. (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) / INDIA of respondent political parties are only to attract and gain sympathy and votes of the innocent citizen and to use as a tool for political benefit and also to give a nudge or a spark which may lead to political hatred which eventually will lead to political violence,” it adds.
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