INDIA BUSINESS WORLD - FEBRUARY 1st - FEBRUARY 15th - 2008
SC TO TAKE UP PLEA AGAINST RAJ THACKERAY’S PARTY ON FEB 22
The Supreme Court has refused to grant urgent hearing to a petition seeking direction to the Election Commission to derecognise Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) for his controversial remarks against north Indians.
A bench comprising Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan and Justice RV Raveendran turning down urgency plea said, “Can we prevent political parties from their activities?”
The court said that there was no urgency in the matter while fixing February 22 to hear the PIL.
The petition filed by advocate Arvind Shukla has also sought directions to the Centre and state government to take action against Raj Thackeray alleging that his action had endangered the integrity of the nation.
Thackeray’s remarks were intended to cause hatred among people and if he and his party activists were not checked from indulging in unlawful activities it may lead to the situation of civil war, petition said.
It said that such a situation can be prevented if the Election Commission derecognises his party, MNS, which has been used as a banner for attacking north Indians in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai.
The impact of Thackeray’s remarks was such that retaliatory attacks on Maharashtrians have been reportedly from Jharkhand, the petition stated.
If action was not taken it may result in a riot-like situation. There have been reports that people involved in culture activities and film industries from other parts of the country have also been attacked, it added.
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