SC expresses concern over political parties playing on regional, caste sentiments

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a petition seeking directions to the Election Commission to de-register Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Musalimeen (AIMIM).

A Bench led by Justice Surya Kant, however, allowed petitioner’s counsel Vishnu Shankar Jain to withdraw the petition with liberty to file a fresh one raising larger issues of reforms in political parties.

As Jain highlighted the alleged communal nature of AIMIM, the Bench also expressed concern over political parties playing on regional and caste sentiments.

“There are some regional parties. They also sometimes indulge in regional sentiments. Is it appropriate and in the interest of national integration?… So, let’s not confine it only to communal issues. There are political parties which bank upon caste considerations… That’s equally dangerous,” Justice Kant noted.

It refused to interfere with the Delhi High Court's verdict rejecting petitioner Tirupati Narasimha Murari’s plea against registration of AIMIM as a political party under the Representation of the People Act.

Alleging that AIMIM’s constitution intended to further the cause of only Muslims, Jain contended that it was against principles of secularism which every political party was required to follow under the scheme of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act.

However, the Bench said the Constitution itself specifically granted protection to minorities, and that a declaration to work for the interests of minorities may not be objectionable.

The Delhi High Court rejected the petition last year, noting that AIMIM fulfilled the legal requirement that the constitutional documents of a political party should declare that it bears true faith and allegiance to the Constitution.