NEW DELHI, Apr 16: The Supreme Court today refused to consider BSP supremo Mayawati’s plea challenging the EC’s 48-hr campaign ban on her and expressed satisfaction over the poll body’s action against leaders making hate speeches.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked Mayawati’s counsel to file a separate appeal against the poll panel’s order.
Taking note of the EC action, the court said it seems the poll body has “woken up” and barred various politicians from poll campaigning for varying hours.
The bench also comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna made it clear that no further order was required for now.
The Election Commission yesterday imposed a nationwide campaign ban on Adityanath for 72 hours and on Union Minister Maneka Gandhi and Mayawati for 48 hours from today for their “provocative” communal remarks, which it said had the “propensity to polarise the elections”.
A 72-hour campaign ban has also been imposed on Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan for his alleged “khaki underwear” jibe against actor-politician Jaya Prada, who is his rival BJP candidate in Rampur Lok Sabha seat.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by an NRI Yoga teacher based in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seeking a direction to the EC to take “strict action” against political parties if their spokespersons make remarks based on caste and religion in the media in the run up to general elections.
The all-India ban on all four leaders — two from the ruling BJP and two from opposition parties — came into force from 6 am today. While Adityanath, Mayawati and Gandhi were found guilty of violating the model code, the EC said Khan not only violated the poll code, he also disregarded its November 2013 directive asking politicians to desist from “deeds or actions construed as being repugnant to the honour and dignity of women”. For the first time a pan-India ban has been imposed on politicians, while any restriction on a chief minister and a Union Minister is unprecedented. (PTI)
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