Top court junks plea seeking withdrawal of BJP’s status as a national party

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking withdrawal of the recognition of BJP as a national party with immediate effect.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna dismissed the plea filed by a former reader in Delhi University, saying it found no ground to entertain it.

“Having heard the petitioner-in-person and upon perusing the relevant material, we find no ground to entertain this petition under Article 32 of the constitution. The same is accordingly dismissed,” the bench said.

The apex court was hearing a plea by Devendra Kumar seeking to withdraw recognition to the party on the ground that it had violated the Election Commission’s code of conduct.

The plea said that the party has been repeatedly and continuously using public funds, public place and government machinery for advertisements and propagate its election symbol in different ways.

The petitioner has also challenged the order of the Election Commission of India, which, on June 8 last year, dismissed his complaint seeking withdrawal of recognition of BJP as a national party.   

(With agency inputs)