PIL before Kerala High Court to restrain opposition parties from using INDIA acronym for their alliance

A public interest litigation (PIL) petition has been filed before the Kerala High Court to restrain a political alliance consisting of 26 opposition parties from using the acronym INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) for their election campaign [Kevin Peter Thomas v Union of India & Ors.]..The plea filed by one Kevin Peter said that use of "INDIA" as an acronym by the political alliance is a violation of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 which prohibits the improper use of certain names and emblems without prior permission from the Central government..The core argument of the petitioner revolves around the symbolic significance of the name "INDIA," which he argued is considered a national symbol.The petitioner said that the political alliance's choice of the acronym is not only an attempt to deceive voters but also a potential source of political discord and violence.By associating their alliance closely with the nation itself, the political parties are seeking undue influence in the upcoming elections, the petitioner argued. Furthermore, the petitioner asserted that the alliance's actions violate the Model Code of Conduct for elections, specifically Class 1, which prohibits activities that aggravate existing differences and create mutual hatred among different castes, communities, religions, or dialects.The petitioner contended that such actions could lead to the distortion of unity in diversity, a principle fundamental to the Indian Constitution.The plea stated that despite the petitioner submitting representations to the Election Commission and the Government of India, no action has been taken.The petitioner, therefore, urged the court to direct the Government of India and the Election Commission to prevent the use of the "INDIA" acronym by the political alliance, citing the absence of any other effective, efficacious, and speedy remedy..The petitioner was represented by advocates C Rajendran, BK Gopalakrishnan, K Vijayan and Manu M..In a similar case, the Delhi High Court had on August 4 issued notice to 26 political parties and the Election Commission of India. The poll body later told the Delhi High Court that it does not have the power to regulate political alliances..On August 11, the Supreme Court refused to entertain a PIL petition to restrain the parties from using the INDIA acronym. A bench of the top court said that plea was filed for 'publicity', following which petitioner Rohit Kheriwal chose to withdraw the same.