The Hindu : Notices to Atal, Advani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 17, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Notices to Atal, Advani

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 16. The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the care-taker Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his deputy, L.K. Advani, and the Election Commission to file replies to a suit seeking direction to the Commission to withdraw recognition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a political party.

Justice C.K. Mahajan asked the above-mentioned repondents as well as the Union Minister for Human Resources, Murli Manohar Joshi, and the Uttar Pradesh Chief of the BJP, Vinay Katiyar, to file their replies by April 27.

The suit was filed by a group of prominent citizens— Arya Samaj leader, Swami Agnivesh, Ghandhian leader, Nirmala Deshpande, social activist, Nafisa Ali, and minority leader, Valson Thampu two years ago urging the court to direct the Commission to derecognise the party for what they alleged violating the basic tenets of the Constitution.

The petitioners alleged the recognition given to the party by the Commission should be withdrawn as it had violated the declaration that it would abide by the Constitution.

Appearing for the petitioners, R.K. Anand, submitted the utterances by the BJP leaders during the Gujarat communal riots in 2003 were violative of the party's commitment to the Constitution which it had vowed to hold in its declaration to the Commission.

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