SC directs Sharad Pawar faction to desist from using 'clock' symbol

Ajit Pawar ans Sharad Pawar

The Supreme Court on April 4 directed Sharad Pawar led Nationalist Congress Party faction to not use the 'clock symbol' which has been provisionally allotted to the Ajit Pawar group.

"The office bearers of Sharad Pawar's NCP shall not use the Clock symbol. We clarify and reiterate that the petitioner, his officer bearers and workers shall abide by the direction where they have been permitted to use the name NCP- SP.", a bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Vishwanathan has ordered.

Senior Advocate AM Singhvi had told court on April 3 that Ajit Pawar's NCP group had not complied with the court's March 19 order directing it to publish advertisements in the media with a disclaimer that a legal dispute over the allocation of the party symbol ‘clock’ is still underway in the Supreme Court.

On March 19, the apex court had allowed Ajit Pawar led NCP faction to provisionally use the clock symbol for its party. Additionally, the Court had directed the Election Commission to provisionally recognise the NCP led by Sharad Pawar for the purpose of contesting upcoming Lok Sabha and state elections.

The apex court also directed Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar to ask workers of his faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to desist from using the party's ‘clock’ symbol in ads.