THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, May 27: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a petition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contesting the Calcutta High Court’s ruling that barred them from circulating any disparaging advertisements against the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which breached the model code of conduct amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
SC refuses to intervene in HC’s ruling
A vacation bench comprising Justices J K Maheshwari and K V Viswanathan declined to intervene in the high court’s decision.
“Prima facie, the advertisement is disparaging,” the bench stated.
Upon the bench’s indication of disinterest in considering the matter, Senior advocate P S Patwalia, representing the BJP, sought permission to withdraw the case, resulting in its dismissal upon withdrawal.
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Nevertheless, the court allowed the BJP petitioner the freedom to approach the Calcutta High Court to challenge the notices issued to it by the High Court’s Single Judge bench.
Calcutta HC barred BJP from publishing ads against TMC
On Wednesday, May 22, a division bench of the High Court refused to interfere with a single-judge’s interim order, thus restraining the BJP from publishing any derogatory or slanderous advertisements against the TMC.
The single-judge bench, on May 20, directed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to abstain from disseminating any advertisements that contravened the MCC until June 4, the scheduled day for the announcement of Lok Sabha poll results.
TMC lodged a petition to prevent BJP from running such advertisements, referencing particular ads published in select newspapers that targeted the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.
