New Delhi, Oct 24 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the NCP's Ajit Pawar faction - which has been recognised by the Election Commission as the "real" NCP - to meticulously comply with earlier orders requiring the addition of disclaimers in party advertisements that the allocation of the party's "clock" symbol is subject to the outcome of proceedings pending before the top court.
A bench, headed by Justice Surya Kant, was hearing an application filed by the Sharad Pawar faction alleging that the Ajit Pawar side has engineered a "large scale confusion" in the minds of voters by using the “clock” symbol without any disclaimer.
The apex court said that it expects the parties to comply with its orders and asked both sides not to violate the March 19 interim direction. In that order, the Supreme Court had asked the Ajit Pawar-led party to issue a public notice in English, Marathi, and Hindi editions, stating that the usage of the 'clock' symbol reserved for NCP is subject to the final outcome of proceedings pending before the Supreme Court. "Such a declaration shall be incorporated in every pamphlet, advertisement, audio, or video clip to be issued on behalf of the respondents (Ajit Pawar-led party)," the SC order had said.
It had clarified that the Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) - having the ‘Man Blowing Turha’ symbol - will also follow court orders and not use the “clock” symbol.
Further, it had asked Ajit Pawar's side to sensitise NCP workers, office bearers and candidates to not defy the top court’s direction.
Issuing notice on Sharad Pawar’s faction application that the Ajit Pawar camp be temporarily allotted a new symbol for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections instead of the clock, the apex court asked the latter to file a fresh undertaking that it was complying with earlier SC orders.
In another plea filed before the Supreme Court, Sharad Pawar group leader Jayant Patil has sought disqualification of Ajit Pawar faction MLAs for defecting and joining the Sena-BJP government.