SC junks Pramod Muthalik’s plea challenging Congress’s Karnataka manifesto

The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Rashtriya Hindu Sena chief Pramod Muthalik's plea challenging the Congress manifesto. He had challenged the manifesto stating that it was trying to bag votes in the name of religion.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud refused to intervene in the election process as it has been set in motion.

The Bench said that the petitioner could take statutory remedy once the polling is over. The Bench also said that assuring minority communities about elevating them from social and economic backwardness did not amount to seeking votes on the ground of religion and this has been held by the Constitution bench judgment.

Muthalik alleged that the Congress' manifesto violated the election code by promising welfare steps for minorities. He sought the disqualification of the candidates on this group.
Advocate Vishnu Jain, who had mentioned the matter for urgent listing, argued that there is a seven-judge bench judgment which prohibits seeking votes in the name of religion.