The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking direction to the Election Commission to bar National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti from contesting the Lok Sabha elections, for their allegedly seditious and communal remarks.
The petitioner withdrew the plea after the bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Justice Prateek Jalan asked him to approach the poll body, Bar and Bench reported.
The petitioner had alleged that Farooq Abdullah backed his son Omar Abdullah’s assertion that Jammu and Kashmir should have a separate prime minister. He added that Mufti had said that India would become an occupational force and the state would be like Palestine if Article 370 was revoked. The Article in the Indian Constitution grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The petition asked the Delhi High Court to order the Election Commission to bar Farooq Abdullah and Mufti because “their loyalties lie somewhere else and not in Indian Constitution”. The petitioner added that the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party were increasingly losing their identity” as they want “J&K state to segregate from India on the basis of Muslim majority”.
The Lok Sabha elections are being held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. The results will be declared on May 23.
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