'Find Your Own Identity, Don’t Use Uncle Pics': SC To Ajit Pawar

The Supreme Court on Wednesday instructed the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party to refrain from using photographs or videos of party founder and his uncle Sharad Pawar - from whose side Pawar junior orchestrated a split in July last year - during campaigning for next week's election.

"Learn to stand on your own feet..." a bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said, as it heard a plea by Pawar senior to stop his nephew using the symbol of a clock - the former undivided NCP's logo - to represent his party in this election.

The court's jab came after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi said an old video of Sharad Pawar was being circulated - by the Ajit Pawar camp - and could be misunderstood as stating the two Pawars are not rivals, which would allow the nephew's faction to pick up extra votes.

Dismissing objections by the Ajit Pawar camp, represented by senior advocate Balbir Singh, who said the video is not part of current campaign material, Justice Surya Kant said, "Whether or not it is an old video... You have an ideological difference with Sharad Pawar and are fighting against him. Therefore... you should try to stand on your own legs."

The court directed Ajit Pawar's office to issue a circular to party leaders and workers to not use the video in question or any other photograph or video of uncle Sharad Pawar. "Find your own identity as a separate and distinct political party..." Justice Kant said, asking for a notice of compliance.

Today's hearing follows a protracted tussle over the clock symbol; the court had earlier said the Ajit Pawar camp could use the logo but had to declare publicly that the final ruling is pending.

Last week the Ajit Pawar camp was rapped for failing to comply with that order; the Deputy Chief Minister was given 36 hours to do so. The court took a dim view when Pawar Junior's party claimed to have issued 52 notifications but could not identify the statement in hoardings. Using of  undivided NCP's clock symbol has been a contentious issue in the build-up to the November 20 election, with the Ajit Pawar faction eager to shake off poor results in the April Lok Sabha election.

It won just one of four seats contested. Sharad Pawar's NCP won eight seats.That result underlined, for many, Pawar senior's hold on the NCP voter base.