On July 18, the opposition parties formed a coalition to fight the upcoming Loksabha elections in 2024 and named the alliance I.N.D.I.A, after the country’s name. The leaders said, for 2024, it’s NDA (National Democratic Alliance) versus INDIA (Indian Democratic Inclusive Alliance). Following the announcement, many leaders and activists submitted complaints to the election commission stating that the country’s name will be used for political benefits.
As of now two such complaint letters have come to light. One from the BJP leadership in Maharashtra and the other from the National Association of Youth (NAY).
Maharashtra BJP leader and advocate Ashutosh Dube has filed a complaint with the Election Commission against the Opposition naming their alliance ‘INDIA’. In his complaint, Dubye stated that “I believe that your intervention in this matter will help maintain the dignity of our nation and preserve the democratic principles on which our country stands,”
“If the party wins, people would say ‘INDIA’ has won. If the party loses, then people would say ‘INDIA’ has lost. This promotes a sense of national insult,” he added.
The letter he shared reads, “The action has caused widespread dissatisfaction and is viewed as a deliberate attempt to exploit the name of our nation for political aspirations, which I believe is disrespect of the country.”
He added, ‘Political parties can choose the names of the alliance but they do so without undermining the dignity and integrity of our nation. By associating their political agenda directly with the name of our country, INDIA has not only shown a lack of originality but also appears to be using the name of our nation to mere gain power.’
He further added, if the party win, people would say “INDIA has won”, but if the party lose, then people would say, ‘INDIA has lost’, promoting a sense of national insult.
Sharing a copy of the letter Dubey wrote on Twitter, “I trust in the Election Commission of India’s commitment to fostering fair and transparent elections. I believe that your intervention in this matter will help maintain the dignity of our nation and preserve the democratic principles on which our country stands.”
A similar letter has been presented by the NAY, dated July 19. This letter was written to the Home Minister, Amit Shah.
While objecting to the opposition’s move to name their alliance as INDIA, the NAY stated that it is a breach of sections 2(A), 6 and 3 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950.
The sections of the act prohibit people from using names or emblems, for the purpose of any trade, business, calling or profession, or in the title of any patent, or in any trade mark or design, any name or emblem specified in the Schedule or any colourable imitation thereof without the previous permission of the Central Government or of such officer of Government as may be authorized in this behalf by the Central Government.
Notably, for the upcoming Loksbha elections, 26 Opposition parties on July 18 formed an anti-BJP front, the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi declaring it will unitedly fight Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “idea of India”.
“We are defending the Constitution, the voice of Indians and the idea of India. You know what happens to anyone who wants to fight the idea of India… The fight is between NDA and I.N.D.I.A, Narendra Modi and I.N.D.I.A, his ideology and I.N.D.I.A. India always wins all fights,” said Gandhi.
“The fight is about two different ideas of India… The voice of the country is being stifled. The fight is for the voice of the country. So this name was chosen — I.N.D.I.A,” he added.
They also agreed to set up an 11-member coordination committee but left the decision on its members and convener for their next meeting, which they decided will be held in Mumbai in Maharashtra, where none of the alliance members is in power.
The first meeting was held in Patna in Bihar, ruled by the INDIA front parties, while the second one was held in Bengaluru in Karnataka, where the Congress has recently returned to power.
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