The Congress on Tuesday opposed in the Delhi High Court a petition against the use of acronym INDIA, saying it is a “politically motivated” plea and shall be dismissed with exemplary costs.
The Congress said the petitioner has failed to establish the very basis of the petition, that the name of the alliance has caused confusion amongst the voters and misled them into voting for the alliance solely on the basis of the acronym and “as a matter of national duty”.
“The petitioner has also failed to provide any evidence with respect to use of ‘I.N.D.I.A’ as an acronym for an alliance as ‘diminishing goodwill’ of the nation in global politics,” the Congress said in its reply filed to the petition.
The reply was filed in a public interest litigation which alleged that by using the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) acronym, the parties were taking “undue advantage in the name of our country”.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet P S Arora is scheduled to hear the petition on Wednesday.
The high court on April 2 had granted a last opportunity to the Centre and several opposition parties to respond to the plea filed by Girish Bharadwaj.