Plea for MNS' de-recognition; Delhi High Court seeks poll panel's response

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today sought a response from the Election Commission on a PIL seeking de-recognition of MNS for allegedly posting "objectionable hate" contents on the party's website.

"You (Election Commission) respond to the petition. List it for hearing on November 5," a bench comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said.

The PIL, filed by advocate Mithilesh K Pandey in his personal capacity, has said the poll panel had on August 26 "wrongly" held that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) cannot be de-recognised as it has already removed the objectionable contents from its website.

Earlier, the court had disposed of Pandey's similar plea on the issue by asking the EC to "expeditiously" decide his complaint seeking de-recognition of MNS on the ground of alleged violation of the model code of conduct by posting "objectionable hate" contents on the party's website.

It had, however, given liberty to the lawyer to approach the court again if he is not satisfied with the action taken by the Election Commission.

The lawyer, dissatisfied with the poll panel's decision, filed the fresh PIL alleging MNS has admitted to putting objectionable contents on its website and hence this is a sufficient a reason to de-recognise it.

The subsequent rectification does not absolve the party, he said.

Earlier, the court had also made clear that the previous view of the Election Commission that it cannot de-recognise a political party will not come in its way in deciding the complaint against Raj Thackeray-led MNS.

The previous PIL had referred to the website of MNS and said its aims and objective talk about "elimination of non-Maratha power-mongers".

The poll panel had, in its communication, "refused to de-recognise MNS on the ground that it has no power to withdraw recognition," the plea said.

Later, the court asked the poll panel to consider relevant laws and the constitutional scheme that empower it to take actions in the event of violation of the model code.