TMC Slaps Contempt Notices on BJP Over Derogatory Ad on X Handle

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has issued contempt notices to the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) for publishing allegedly defamatory advertisements on its X handle, which violates a Calcutta High Court order. The high court had previously restrained the BJP from such publications until June 4.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday sent contempt notices to the BJP as well as the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the BJP publishing an advertisement on its X handle, claiming that it violated a Calcutta High Court order.

The high court, in an order passed on May 20 restraining the BJP from publishing derogatory advertisements regarding the TMC and violating the Model Code of Conduct until June 4 and until further orders. In the notice, advocate Soham Dutta, on behalf of the TMC, said that there was no stay order of the single-bench order, despite which the saffron party had published ''such an advertisement on the X handle'' on Tuesday.

Dutta asked the BJP to retract the “intentional, deliberate, and contemptuous publication” from the party's official X handle and called for an immediate clarification on the social networking site.

He also described the published advertisement on Tuesday as “false, unverified and defamatory”. Incidentally, the Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain the West Bengal BJP’s plea challenging the Calcutta High Court order.