PIL in Delhi HC seeks direction to political parties to prohibit use of acronym I.N.D.I.A.

The plea alleged that political parties are using the acronym India with malicious intent which will only act as a factor for diminishing the goodwill of our great nation

New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation has been moved in Delhi High Court seeking direction to several political parties to prohibit the use of the acronym I.N.D.I.A. (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance).

Petitioner Girish Upadhya through Advocate Vaibhav Singh stated that several political parties using our national flag as the logo of their alliance which is a further strategic move to attract and gain sympathy and votes of the innocent citizen and as a tool to give nudge or a spark which may lead to political hatred which eventually will lead to political violence.

---

INDIA is an acronym for Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, which is an opposition front announced by the leaders of 26 parties to take on the BJP in next year’s elections.

The plea alleged that political parties are using the acronym India with malicious intent which will only act as a factor for diminishing the goodwill of our great nation i.e., India (Bharat), not only in our country but also on various international platforms.

The plea stated that if the term INDIA will be used by the Indian and International Media as an acronym but not in its full form (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) it will create a sense of confusion among the innocent citizen where in if the alliance i.e. I.N.D.I.A. (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) is defeated or loses the general election of 2024 then it would be projected as India as a whole is defeated, which will hurt the sentiment of innocent citizens of the country again which may lead to political violence in the country.

The act of these political parties may adversely affect the peaceful, transparent and fair casting of votes during the upcoming general election of 2024 which may expose the citizens to unwarranted violence and also affect the law and order of the country, plea added.

The plea is scheduled to come for a hearing on August 4, 2023, before the Division bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula.

The petition seeks direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Election Commission of India to take necessary action for using the acronym I.N.D.I.A. (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) / INDIA by the political parties.

The petition has mentioned the names of Indian National Congress, TMC, RLD, JDU, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Aam Aadmi Party, JMM, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), RJD, Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), PDP, JKNC, CPI, CPI (M), MDMK, Konganadu Makkal Desia Katchi (KMDK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Indian Union Muslim League, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, All India Forward Bloc, Kerala Congress (Joseph), Kerala Congress (Mani) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK).