The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed as withdrawn a petition seeking guidelines to prevent politicians from misusing and appropriating national icons and freedom fighters for personal gains.
The Bench of Justice BR Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta, terming the petition ‘politically-motivated’ to target someone, asked why the Court was being made into a political arena.
The petitioner, a professor at the Indian Institute of Information Technology at Sonepat, sought permission to withdraw the plea.
The Bench noted that the petitioner had no personal grievance against the Chief Minister of Delhi or his political party or any other individual or association whatsoever, and dismissed the plea.
The public interest litigation (PIL) sought guidelines to prevent politicians from appropriating national icons and freedom fighters for personal gain.
It objected to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal using the images of the late Bhagat Singh and Dr BR Ambedkar in the background during political addresses.
It contended that 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.
The petitioner said it was very unsettling and disturbing for him to see a contemporary politician equating his own image with that of the said two persons, who were beyond the shadow of doubt, national heroes and icons.
Filed through Advocate Pooja Dhar, the plea submitted that the misuse of images of freedom fighters as done by Kejriwal and his wife prompted the instant litigation as it belittled the martyrs.
Advocate Rohan Thawani appeared for the petitioner-professor.