EC has woken up now: SC

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 16

A day after the Election Commission debarred UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, BSP supremo Mayawati, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan from campaigning for varying periods, the Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed satisfaction over the action taken by the poll panel.

“It seems you (EC) have got your powers back,” said a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi which had rapped the Election Commission for its inaction on hate speech by political leaders during the ongoing Lok Sabha poll campaign.

The Bench — which had on Monday taken exception to EC acting as a “toothless” body against hate speech makers — said no interim orders were needed at this stage. It also refused to entertain Mayawati’s plea against the 48-hour campaign ban on her. On behalf of her, senior counsel Dushyant Dave said the EC’s action against her was “extremely drastic” and that the court should take up her plea at 2 pm as her meetings were already scheduled. But the Bench refused to oblige her and asked her to file a separate petition.

The Bench, which had summoned an EC official for Tuesday’s hearing and to examine the scope the poll panel’s powers to deal with hate speech, said, “It seems you have woken up to your powers. On behalf of EC, senior advocate CA Sundaram said, “We have found we have several powers” and went on to listed out the action taken against politicians who made hate speeches.

The Bench had on April 8 issued notice to the Centre and EC on a PIL filed by an NRI seeking direction 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 court has kept the petition pending.