Congress seeking votes in the name of religion: SC to hear Pramod Muthalik’s plea
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Bangaluru, May 9: Rashtriya Hindu Sena chief Pramod Muthalik plea alleging that the Congress party in its election manifesto in Karnataka was seeking votes in the name of religion will be heard by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud on May 9 agreed to hear Mr. Muthalik’s plea, which also sought directions to the Election Commission of India to delete the Congress party’s alleged appeal in its manifesto.
Advocate Vishnu Jain mentioned the matter for urgent listing and said there is a seven-judge Bench judgment which prohibits seeking of votes in the name of religion.
The plea has also sought disqualification of those Congress candidates who are allegedly seeking votes in name of religion in the Karnataka polls.
The Assembly election in Karnataka will be held on May 12, 2018 in 223 of the 224 constituencies.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president G Parameshwara, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary in-charge of the state K C Venugopal and former Union minister Veerappa Moily, have headed the committee to prepare the Congress manifesto. Releasing the “People’s Manifesto” at a function here, Congress president Rahul Gandhi described it as the “voice of the people of Karnataka” and not a document prepared by “three or four people in a closed room”.