World
India
The Delhi High Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea seeking the cancellation of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) registration.
The plea alleged that the party had failed to disclose the criminal antecedents of itself and its candidates in the upcoming assembly elections.
The petitioner, Ashwin Mudgal, argued before the bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela that AAP’s failure to disclose criminal records violated the Supreme Court’s directives.
The court mandates that all political parties and candidates must publish any criminal antecedents before elections, according to the petition.
Mudgal’s counsel further emphasized that AAP was implicated in the alleged liquor scam, and the party had failed to disclose its involvement as an accused in the case. Despite these claims, the court pointed out that the Supreme Court’s ruling did not provide for the de-recognition of a political party.
The court ultimately dismissed the petition, stating that it could not take action to cancel AAP’s registration. The petitioner then withdrew the plea, with the option to approach the Supreme Court.
This decision marks a significant development in the ongoing debate about transparency and accountability in political parties, particularly regarding candidates’ criminal histories ahead of elections.
Read More: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Launches UCC Portal With Access In 23 Languages
