HC asks EC to decide de-recongnition plea against MNS

The Delhi High Court today asked the Election Commisison to "expeditiously" decide the complaint seeking derecognition of MNS on the ground of alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct by posting "objectionable hate" contents on the party's website.
"The Model Code of Conduct is in operation. The petition is disposed of to enable the petitioner to provide information by way of a complaint/representation within two days to the Election Commisison with regard to his grievance pertaining to alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
"Once the representation is received, the same shall be dealt with as expeditiously as possible in accordance with law....," a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul said.

The court also made clear that the earlier view of the Election Commission that it cannot derecognise a political party will not come in its way in deciding the complaint against Raj Thackeray-led MNS.
During the hearing, the court took strong note of the view of the poll panel that it cannot derecognise the party.
"We are sorry. You are not upholding the Constitution. Why don't you say that you will take action on the complaint and take it to the logical conclusion? Do not create walls," the bench said.

Disposing of the PIL, the bench gave Mithilesh K Pandey, a lawyer who had filed the plea, the liberty to approach the court again if he is not satisfied with the action taken by the Election Commisison.

Earlier, the court had asked the Election Commission to apprise it as to what actions it proposes to take on the allegations against MNS.
The PIL has referred to the website of MNS and said its aims and objective talk about "elimination of non-Maratha power-mongers".
The poll panel, in its communication, has "refused to derecognize MNS on the ground that it has no power to withdraw recognition," the plea said.