If you don't like it, ignore it: SC on probe into Congress toolkit case

Calling the toolkit a piece of political propaganda, the bench comprising of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice MR Shah asked the petitioner to ignore it if he didn't like it.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a plea seeking the National Investigation Agency's probe into the Congress "Toolkit" case and suspension of the Congress party for indulging in anti-national acts and playing with the lives of people if the charges were proven to be true.

Calling the toolkit a piece of political propaganda, the bench comprising of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice MR Shah asked the petitioner, Advocate Shashank Shekhar Jha, how a petition under Article 32 could be entertained by the court against political propaganda?

"Mr Shashank Jha if you don't like the toolkit then you ignore the toolkit. This is a propaganda shaft by a political party and you should ignore it," said Justice Chandrachud.

Adv Jha had cited an example of Singapore which had banned everything to which Justice Chandrachud said that "India is a democracy".

The bench noted that the court's precious time was being taken up by 'frivolous petitions'. "All of these petitions take precious time of the Supreme Court", said the bench.

However, the court allowed the petitioner to pursue alternate remedies and withdraw the case from the apex court.

In May, this year, the BJP had alleged a 'Toolkit' has been prepared by the Congress party to tarnish the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Congress party had accused BJP leaders of releasing a forged and fabricated letter and termed it as an attempt to divert the attention of the people and to hide the failure of the government in handling the health crisis.

(With input from agency)