India / Ignore Cong 'toolkit' if you don't like it, India's a democracy: SC on plea for probe

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a petition that had sought a preliminary probe into the alleged ‘Congress toolkit’, which – it was claimed - was prepared to tarnish the image of India as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Supreme Court bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah told the petitioner to ignore the so-called document if it was not to his liking.

“If you don't like ‘Toolkit’, you ignore it,” said the court. “This is a part of political propaganda and if you don't like it, then you ignore it,” it added.

The petitioner, advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, then withdrew the plea.

In his plea, Jha had referred to the ‘toolkit’ allegedly prepared by the Congress party and said that terms like ‘Indian strain’ should not be used.

“India is a democracy,” the bench told the petitioner, refusing to grant ‘such a relief in petition under Article 32’.

“Why should we issue directions in petition under 32? People have remedy in criminal law. You can withdraw this and pursue your other remedies,” the bench said.

When the alleged toolkit had emerged, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had slammed the Congress for seeking to tarnish India as well as PM Modi’s image over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Congress has so far stood its ground and denied any role in the document. Its leaders even registered a police complaint and alleged the BJP was propagating the "fake toolkit'' to defame the opposition party.

The petitioner had also sought direction from the top court to the Central government to come out with guidelines for political parties, groups or individuals to prevent them from putting up all kinds of hoardings and portraying alleged anti-national stance, including the use of photos of funerals and dead bodies, naming mutants after India and others.

“Why should we stop? This is the problem. The time of the Supreme Court is being taken up by frivolous petitions. You can't come with umbrella petition,” the bench said.