New Delhi: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the de-registration of the Indian National Congress (INC) for allegedly conducting nationwide “anti-constitutional propaganda” against the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The petition claimed the campaign was aimed at undermining the constitutional authority of the poll body and eroding the sanctity of the democratic process. It also sought a declaration that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi “have no allegiance to the Constitution of India.”

According to the plea, the INC’s nationwide campaign against the ECI breached the constitutional oath taken by the party at the time of registration and unlawfully interfered with the commission’s statutory and constitutional functions.

The ECI is empowered under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, to prepare and revise electoral rolls across the country. The petition argued that with the issue of Bihar’s special intensive voter list revision already pending before the Supreme Court, Congress leaders should not be making public campaigns or using terms such as “Vote Chor” in rallies.

"Once the issue of special Intensive revision of the voter list of the State of Bihar is sub-judice before this Hon'ble Court, the political parties, especially the Indian National Congress and its leader Sh. Rahul Gandhi and Shri Mallikarjun Kharge cannot make any campaign, propaganda and can use the language (Vote Chor) in public meetings," It said.

Filed by Satish Kumar Aggarwal, a former vice-president of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, the PIL contended that such conduct violated Article II of the Congress’s own constitution, requiring allegiance to the Constitution of India, as well as Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, which mandates the same for political parties.

The plea urged the court to direct the ECI to de-register the Congress and sought the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged propaganda and campaign led by the party’s top leadership, along with their prosecution.

 

IANS inputs