NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Dec 4 issued notices to the Congress (I), Bharatiya Janata Party, Kerala Congress, Shiv Sena and all factions of Akali Dal on a petition seeking their disqualification as political parties because “they were exploiting religious, caste and linguistic feelings of the people”.
The notices returnable within ‘six weeks were issued by a division bench comprising justice M H Kania and Justice L M Sharma on the petition by P Nala Thumpy Thera.
The petitioner urged the court to set aside the election commission order of October 19 last year recognising them as a political Parties.
He further urged the court to derecognize these political parties and their allies till they become truely secular and abide by the provisions of the constitution.
Counsel for the petitioner K K Venu Gopal submitted before the court that under section 123 (3) of the people’s representation act, the political parties were not entitled to ask for votes on the basis of caste, community, religion and language.
He further said all these political parties had violated their undertaking given to the election commission that they would abide by the provisions of the constitution and maintain, secularism in the country.
The court directed that the next hearing be held in February next year.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 14, 1990
