‘SHIV SENA SYMBOL CREATED BY MY FATHER, NOT BEING ALLOWED TO USE’

NEW DELHI: Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday told the Delhi high court that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has deprived his Shiv Sena faction of the name and symbol of his father, despite them running the party for 30 years.

Arguing on a petition against the ECI’S interim order freezing Sena’s name and election symbol, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Thackeray, said the ECI could not be permitted to proceed on the assumption that rival faction leader Eknath Shinde has not been disqualified when the issue is pending before the Supreme Court.

Senior counsel Devdatt Kamat, also appearing for Thackeray, said his political activity had come to a standstill and day-to-day prejudice was being caused due to the freezing order. “I have run this party for the last 30-odd years. Unless the ECI is satisfied that they have made out a prima facie case, it cannot freeze the election symbol. I can’t use the name and symbol of my father today,” Kamat contended.

Senior counsel for Shinde faction, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, said there was no need for high court to intervene when the “(interim) direction has worked itself out” after the conclusion of the Andheri East assembly bypoll and now the “ball is in the Election Commission’s court”.