Setback for BJP: SC finds BJP’s ads targeting AITC in Bengal “disparaging”
Terming the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) controversial advertisements against the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in newspapers in Bengal prima facie “disparaging”, a Supreme Court bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan on Monday, May 27 refused to “interfere” with the Calcutta High Court’s order.
This is being considered a major setback for the BJP, which has been using these advertisements in unsavoury language to target the ruling party in Bengal.
The Calcutta High Court had, on May 20, restrained the BJP from publishing derogatory advertisements about AITC that violate the Election Commission of India’s (EC) Model Code of Conduct, which is in place now, during the period of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, till June 4, which is the date for the counting of votes across the country.
The Bengal unit of the BJP challenged this order in the Supreme Court but the apex court on Monday turned down its plea to rule against the order and kept the restraint till June 4 in place.
