In an ongoing dispute between the Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions of the Nationalist Congress Party, the Supreme Court on Wednesday has directed the Ajit Pawar group to refrain from using any audio or video content of party founder Sharad Pawar in their election campaigns.
The bench led by Justice Surya Kant directed both the sides to respect voter wisdom and focus on the electoral battlefield.
The plea was filed by Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP taking objection to continued allotment of ‘clock symbol’ to Ajit Pawar faction of NCP.
Bench also instructed the Ajit Pawar faction to issue an electronic circular informing their candidates to avoid using such material.
Additionally, the Court asked Ajit Pawar’s side to confirm the authenticity of a circulated video allegedly showing a message by Sharad Pawar.
The matter will be taken up next on November 19, just a day before the crucial Maharashtra elections.
(Inputs By Sambhav Sharma)