The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea seeking guidelines to prevent politicians from misusing and appropriating national icons and freedom fighters for personal gains [Dr Vinay Pathak vs Union of India].A Bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said that the petition was politically motivated to target someone."Why has this Court becoming a political arena? Your petition shows you are only targeting someone," the Bench remarked. The petitioner then chose to withdraw the plea..The Bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) objecting to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal using the images of the late Bhagat Singh and Dr BR Ambedkar in the background during political addresses.The petitioner, a professor at the Indian Institute of Information Technology at Sonepat, sought guidelines to prevent politicians from appropriating national icons and freedom fighters for personal gain."The fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression cannot, and should not, extend to allowing any person to misuse the images/names of national icons and heroes of the freedom struggle for their own personal gain. It was very unsettling and disturbing for the Petitioner to see a contemporary politician equating his own image with that of the said two persons, who are beyond the shadow of doubt national heroes and icons," the plea said. The misuse of images of freedom fighters as done by Kejriwal and his wife prompted the instant litigation as it belittles martyrs, it was submitted."The petitioner makes it very clear that he has no personal grievance against the Chief Minister of Delhi or his political party or any other individual or association whatsoever"..The PIL was filed through advocate Pooja Dhar. Advocate Rohan Thawani appeared for the petitioner-professor.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a plea seeking guidelines to prevent politicians from misusing and appropriating national icons and freedom fighters for personal gains [Dr Vinay Pathak vs Union of India].A Bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta said that the petition was politically motivated to target someone."Why has this Court becoming a political arena? Your petition shows you are only targeting someone," the Bench remarked. The petitioner then chose to withdraw the plea..The Bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) objecting to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal using the images of the late Bhagat Singh and Dr BR Ambedkar in the background during political addresses.The petitioner, a professor at the Indian Institute of Information Technology at Sonepat, sought guidelines to prevent politicians from appropriating national icons and freedom fighters for personal gain."The fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression cannot, and should not, extend to allowing any person to misuse the images/names of national icons and heroes of the freedom struggle for their own personal gain. It was very unsettling and disturbing for the Petitioner to see a contemporary politician equating his own image with that of the said two persons, who are beyond the shadow of doubt national heroes and icons," the plea said. The misuse of images of freedom fighters as done by Kejriwal and his wife prompted the instant litigation as it belittles martyrs, it was submitted."The petitioner makes it very clear that he has no personal grievance against the Chief Minister of Delhi or his political party or any other individual or association whatsoever"..The PIL was filed through advocate Pooja Dhar. Advocate Rohan Thawani appeared for the petitioner-professor.