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The Supreme Court has directed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to file an affidavit within 24 hours demonstrating compliance with a previous order regarding the usage of the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) “clock” symbol. This directive comes amidst a legal dispute over the adherence to the court’s directives concerning the symbol’s usage during election campaigns.
The court’s bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan, instructed Ajit Pawar to provide evidence of the inclusion of disclaimers in advertisements and public notices, as mandated by the previous order. This disclaimer specifies that the allocation of the “clock” symbol to his faction is subject to ongoing judicial scrutiny.
Furthermore, the bench asked Ajit Pawar to submit an affidavit by the next hearing, repelling accusations from his nephew’s camp that the court’s interim order from March 19 was being misrepresented as final.
On March 19, the Supreme Court permitted Ajit Pawar’s faction to continue using the “clock” symbol and the NCP name. However, this allowance was contingent upon the inclusion of disclaimers in all communications, informing the public that the symbol’s allocation was subject to the court’s final decision.
During Wednesday’s hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sharad Pawar, expressed concerns about non-compliance with the court’s order. He highlighted that instead of adhering to the directive, Ajit Pawar’s faction had filed an application seeking relaxation of the March 19 order.
In response, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ajit Pawar’s faction, contested Singhvi’s claims. Rohatgi presented certain advertisements with the required disclaimers and clarified that their application sought modification only for future communications.
The bench instructed Rohatgi to provide information on the number of advertisements issued post the March 19 order and asked both parties to prepare affidavits for submission before the next hearing.
