Plea in HC accusing AAP MLA of misusing state emblem

A plea was today moved in the Delhi High Court against AAP MLA Rituraj Govind seeking directions to the Centre to grant sanction for his prosecution for allegedly issuing identity cards with the state emblem printed on it.
The petition, by a former journalist and now a member of the Indian National Congress party, has contended that issuing of such identity cards by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA "amounts to misuse" of the state emblem as per the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005.
The plea by Pratyush Kanth, filed through advocate Biji Rajesh, has sought a direction to the union government to grant prosecution sanction for prosecuting respondent 4 (AAP) and 5 (Rituraj)" under the Act.

The plea has also sought a direction to "restrain" AAP and Rituraj, the MLA from Kirari Assembly constituency of north west Delhi, "from misusing the state emblem with immediate effect".
"The ID cards issued by the party MLA has the designation of the worker written as 'In-charge Anti Corruption' along with his name and address," the petition has alleged.
Kanth has also alleged that residents of the area are under the impression that the AAP MLA has distributed "government jobs" as Rituraj has allegedly termed the issuance of ID cards as "Kirari sarkari naukari mela".
The petitioner has also alleged that the "young officers of AAP government, who were conned into thinking that they are a legal arm of the government started harassing small-time traders of Kirari, especially those who had not supported AAP during the recently-held elections."

These representatives were also asking the people about their financial and social information, the petition has alleged.