Police complaint against 26 Opposition parties for 'improper use' of INDIA

A day after opposition parties formed an alliance of parties and named it Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance to fight the upcoming Loksabha elections in 2024, a police complaint has been registered against 26 Opposition parties "for improper use of the name of INDIA and for the undue influence."

IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses the media as party president Mallikarjun Kharge (second from right), West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (third from right), Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann ((7t from right), NCP chief Sharad Pawar (right) and AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal and other leaders look on, after the Opposition parties meet, in Bengaluru, July 18, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

A police complaint has been lodged at Barakhamba police station in Delhi, against 26 Opposition parties "for improper use of the name of INDIA and use of the said name for the undue influence and personation at elections."

The complainant, Dr Avinish Mishra requests for necessary action against these parties.

Notably, the Opposition with 26 parties came up with a name for the alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, announcing that it would be called the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, or INDIA.

The complaint has been filled against Indian National Congress, All India Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Aam Aadmi Party, Janta Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, People's Democratic Party, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party, Shiv Sena-UBT, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Apna Dal-Kamerawadi, All India Forward Bloc, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, Kongunadu Makkal Desai Katchi, Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Indian Union Muslim League, and Kerala Congress-Mani, Kerala Congress-Joseph.

The case has been registered under Section 2(c) of the Emblems Act defines "name" to include any abbreviation of a name.

Section 5 of the Emblems Act provides for a punishment with a fine which may extend to five hundred rupees to be imposed on any person who is found to be contravening provisions of Section 3 of the Emblems Act.

The act of the afore named political parties to name their alliance as INDIA' has certainly hurt the sentiments of all Indians who identify themselves as citizens of 'INDIA', the complaint read.