SC refuses to entertain BJP's plea against Calcutta HC order on advertisements during LS polls
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea filed by the BJP challenging a Calcutta High Court order that had refused to interfere with a single-judge verdict restraining the party from issuing advertisements that are allegedly violative of the model code during the Lok Sabha polls.
A vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and K V Viswanathan refused to interfere with the high court order.
"Prima facie, the advertisement is disparaging," the bench said.
Senior advocate P S Patwalia, appearing for the BJP, sought permission to withdraw the matter after the bench expressed disinclination to entertain the matter.
The matter was dismissed as withdrawn.
On May 22, a division bench of the high court had said it was not inclined to entertain the appeal against the interim order passed by the single-judge bench.
The single-judge bench on May 20 had restrained the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from publishing advertisements that violated the MCC until June 4, the day the Lok Sabha poll results are scheduled to be declared.
The court had also restrained the saffron party from publishing the advertisements mentioned by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, in its petition claiming unverified allegations against it and its workers.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
PM Modi tours iconic Dutch dam; eyes cooperation in water management
The Hague (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten, toured the iconic Afsluitdijk Dam on Sunday, as India and the Netherlands explored deeper collaboration in water management and climate-resilient infrastructure.
“An area in which the Netherlands has done groundbreaking work is water management. The entire international community can learn a great deal from this,” Modi said in a social media post after the visit.
The PM further said: “We are committed to bringing modern technology to India, which is intended to help with irrigation, flood protection, and the expansion of the inland waterway network.”
Calling the Afsluitdijk Dam a “symbol of excellence and innovation”, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted its role in water management, flood protection and freshwater storage.
“The visit highlighted the relevance of Dutch expertise for India’s Kalpasar Project in Gujarat, which aims to create a freshwater reservoir and dam near the Gulf of Khambhat,” the MEA said in a social media post.
“The visit underscored opportunities for deeper Indo-Dutch collaboration in climate resilience, water technology and sustainable infrastructure,” it added.
Modi landed in The Hague on Friday on a two-day visit as part of a four-nation trip to Europe - which also includes Sweden, Norway and Italy - aimed at ramping up bilateral ties on a range of key areas.
Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) posts, "An area in which the Netherlands has done groundbreaking work is water management. The entire international community can learn a great deal from this. This morning, I had the opportunity to visit the Afsluitdijk… pic.twitter.com/HjeJbku1OT
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 17, 2026
