The Delhi High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on Kashmiri leaders Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah from participating in the LokSabha elections.
A division bench headed by Justice RavindraBhat askedpetitioner – advocate Sanjiv Kumar – toapproach the Election Commission.
Thereafter, the petitioner withdrew his plea.
The court was hearing the petition which has sought adirection to the poll panel to ban the National Conference and the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) from taking part in the general elections as “theloyalties of the leaders of these parties lie elsewhere and not in the IndianConstitution”.
The petition has also sought direction to book them onvarious charges including sedition.
In his plea, the petitioner said allowing these leaders tocontest the elections would be a mockery of democracy as these people openlycall for a division of “Mother India” on the basis of religion andare demanding two Prime Ministers — one for Jammu and Kashmir and another forthe rest of India.
The petitioner told the court that National ConferencePresident Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah’s statements that theywould demand revival of the post of Wazir-e-Azam and Sadar-e-Riyasat forKashmir was unacceptable.
“Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah’s seditious, communal statements are against the Indian Constitution and hence the court/Election Commission should bar/impose conditions on their entry to a very constitutional House (LokSabha) as their loyalties lie somewhere else and not to the Indian Constitution,” the plea said.