INC Opposes PIL Restraining Opposition’s Use Of ‘INDIA’ Acronym, Labels It Politically Motivated

The Indian National Congress (INC) has submitted a rebuttal affidavit in the Delhi High Court challenging a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to ban the usage of the acronym INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) by the opposition coalition, denouncing it as a politically driven petition.

“Petitioner has deliberately suppressed the fact that he is closely associated with Vishwa Hindu Parishad and a perusal of the pleadings makes it amply evident that one of the motives of filing this Petition is to bolster his political affiliation,” the Congress party alleged through the affidavit.

The affidavit asserted that Vishwa Hindu Parishad is an Indian Right-Wing Organization associated with the “Sangh Parivar” and aligned with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, whose political wing is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Congress also contended in its affidavit that the petitioner had ‘failed to establish the very basis of the Petition, that the name of the alliance has caused confusion amongst voters and misled them into voting for the alliance solely based on the acronym and ‘as a matter of national duty’.

The petitioner has also not presented any evidence regarding the use of ‘INDIA’ as an acronym for an alliance leading to the “diminishing goodwill” of the nation in global politics. The petitioner has  ‘failed to even point to any judicial precedent or any provision in the Constitution that bars political parties from having the acronym of the name of their alliance, ‘INDIA’, stated Congress.

The petitioner alleged that political parties are employing the acronym INDIA with malicious intent, which could potentially undermine the nation’s goodwill both domestically and internationally. They argued that if INDIA is used in media coverage as an acronym without its full form (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), it might confuse citizens.

Moreover, in the event of the alliance’s defeat in the 2024 general election, it could be misconstrued as a defeat for India as a whole, potentially inciting political unrest. The petitioner expressed concerns that such actions by political parties could disrupt the fair conduct of the upcoming elections, jeopardizing law and order in the country.

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