Election petition filed against Nitin Gadkari, SC issues notice

The election petition against Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari was heard in the Supreme Court on Friday. While hearing the matter, the court has issued notice to Nitin Gadkari and the Election Commission and sought answers. In the election petition, Nitin Gadkari has been accused of hiding information related to assets and income while filing nomination for the Lok Sabha elections.

The Supreme Court has issued notice on a petition challenging the Bombay High Court order in which some part of the model code of conduct was omitted from the appeal of election petition filed against Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The court has issued notice to all the concerned parties including Gadkari and the Election Commission.

The High Court removed some part from the prayer part from the hearing

Senior advocate Devdutt Kamat, appearing for the petitioner, said that the High Court allowed the election petition but not in its entirety. The court removed some part of the prayer part of the petition from the hearing. There has also been a lapse in giving mandatory information under Rule 16 of the Code of Conduct.

It is alleged that Gadkari had earned income related to agricultural work, immovable property i.e. plots and buildings which Gadkari had not mentioned in the affidavit given at the time of his nomination. The High Court has removed it from the hearing. The same has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

Nagpur man has filed a petition

Nafees Khan, a resident of Nagpur constituency, has said in his election petition that Nitin Gadkari has disclosed in his election affidavit that he does not own any land in his personal capacity. In addition, their source of income was shown to be through agriculture.

According to the petitioner, this information furnished by the Union Minister in the general election was wrong. Therefore, the election of Gadkari should be declared void under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.Live TV