INDIA acronym case | Delhi HC gives last chance to political parties to reply to plea

Delhi High Court grants final opportunity to Centre and Opposition parties to respond to petition on INDIA acronym.

The Delhi High Court on April 2 granted a last opportunity to the Centre and several Opposition parties to respond to a petition seeking to restrain them from using the acronym INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance).

A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said that the replies be filed within one week to the public interest litigation which alleged that by using the INDIA acronym, the parties were taking “undue advantage in the name of our country”.

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The high court, which refused to prepone the date of hearing of the petition, said an endeavour shall be made to hear and dispose of the petition on April 10.

“The contesting respondents are given the last and final opportunity to file their replies within a week,” the Bench said.

The court was hearing an application by petitioner Girish Bharadwaj seeking early hearing of the matter on the grounds that the petition was pending since August 2023 and pleadings are yet to be completed and the election schedule has already been announced by the Election Commission.

Advocate Vaibhav Singh, representing the petitioner, said eight opportunities have already been given to the Central Government and the opposition parties but they have not yet filed their replies.