While asking for a disclaimer over the contentious clock election symbol, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the warring Pawar factions – each led by Sharad and Ajit – of the NCP to woo voters and not waste their energy in court.A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan was hearing the pleas of Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions over the purported use and misuse of the “clock” symbol when it suggested both the groups to focus on voters instead.
The court also directed the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction to publish a disclaimer in newspapers, including Marathi ones, that the issue of allocation of “clock” symbol was pending in court.
The disclaimer was directed to be published in the dailies within 36 hours of the court order.
While doing so, the top court remarked, “Don’t waste your energy in courts. You both should go and be with the voters to woo them.”
It asked senior advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for the Ajit Pawar faction, to make a prominent disclaimer in the newspapers including Marathi ones within 36 hours.
Singh claimed the candidates had filed their nominations and the stage of withdrawal of names was over but the Sharad Pawar faction was attempting to disrupt the entire election process.
On the contrary, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Sharad Pawar faction, contended that the “clock” symbol had been associated with the veteran leader for the last 30 years and the opposing side was trying to misuse it.