Supreme Court to hear on Monday BJP's plea against Calcutta High Court order on ads during Lok Sabha election
New Delhi, May 26
The Supreme Court will take up on Monday the BJP’s petition challenging a Calcutta High Court order restraining the saffron party from publishing alleged derogatory advertisements against the TMC and its leaders during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls as they violated the Model Code of Conduct.
The BJP’s petition is listed before a Vacation Bench of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice KV Viswanathan on May 27.
The top court had on Friday agreed to consider the BJP’s petition after it was mentioned before a Vacation Bench led by Justice Bela M Trivedi for urgent listing.
A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court had on May 22 refused to interfere with a single-judge order restraining the BJP from publishing ‘derogatory’ advertisements against the TMC and its leaders, saying “Laxman Rekha” should not be crossed and there should not be any personal attacks.
Refusing to interfere with the May 20 single judge order, the Division Bench had said the BJP could move the single judge, seeking a review or recall of its order.
“You (BJP) are a national party. There should be an internal mechanism either at centre or state level which will approve what propaganda can be printed. There should be some Lakshman Rekha… We are not complimenting them (TMC)…but imagine the impact on normal people,” the HC had said.
The BJP had contended that the single judge passed the order without giving it hearing and that the Election Commission was the appropriate authority for redress in case of any dispute during a poll process.
The high court on May 20 restrained the BJP from publishing advertisements that violated the Model Code of Conduct until June 4, the day results are to be declared.
