Allahabad High Court Dismisses SP Leader's PIL Seeking Restoration Of NSG Cover For Ex-CM Akhilesh Yadav

The Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) last week dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea filed by a leader of the Samajwadi Party (SP) seeking a direction to the Union Government to restore National Security Guard (NSG) cover to SP President and Ex-Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav. A Bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Rajeev Bharti categorically noted that the petition was not maintainable as it noted that Yadav himself had not approached the Court for such a relief. "The person for whom security is being sought has not come to the Court. It being so, we fail to understand as to how the petitioner can maintain these proceedings that too as a public interest litigation", the Bench observed. The PIL plea was filed by one Firasat Husain Gama, a Samajwadi Party leader seeking a direction commanding the UOI to restore National Security Guard (NSG) cover to Yadav to protect his life and provide him security, in the interest of justice. The PIL plea alleged that there are political threats of life to Yadav from many extremist organizations. It added that due to political motives, the Government of India discontinued in February 2019 the NSG cover given to the President of Samajwadi Party. "Akhilesh Yadav is not only president of Samajwadi Party but he is member of Parliament also as well as president of so many organizations and removing his N.S.G. Security, is unjustified and arbitrary as well as discriminatory act of Government of India, as the leaders of some non-political organizations as well as small political parties have been provided N.S.G. Security,” the plea stated. However, the Court concluded by dismissing the petition solely on the ground of maintainability. "This writ petition cannot be entertained. Accordingly, the writ petition is dismissed only for this reason", it said. The matter was argued by Advocate Girdhari Lal Yadav, assisted by Advocates Shashank Diwakar and Shrashank Tripathi, on behalf of the petitioner. Senior Advocate SB Pandey, Deputy Solicitor General of India, appeared for the Union of India, assisted by Advocate Varun Pandey. The Additional Chief Standing Counsel represented the State of Uttar Pradesh.

Allahabad High Court Dismisses SP Leader's PIL Seeking Restoration Of NSG Cover For Ex-CM Akhilesh Yadav

Sparsh Upadhyay

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