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.