Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted the Centre four weeks to state its stand on a petition for de-registering political parties having names with “caste, religious, ethnic or linguistic” connotation and flags that resemble the national tricolour. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad, was informed that in spite of issuance of notice on the public interest litigation in 2019, the central government was yet to file a reply.
Observing that the central government was an “equally important party” to the petition filed by lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, the bench said, “Counsel for Union of India prays for 4 weeks’ time to seek instructions. He is granted 4 weeks’ time.” The court also asked the counsel for the Election Commission of India, which has already filed a response to the petition, to seek further instructions in the matter.
Upadhyay has contended in his plea that the use of names with religious connotations or symbols similar to the national flag or emblem might prejudicially affect the poll prospects of a candidate.
