India, June 22 -- The Delhi High Court has upheld the Election Commission rules not allowing political advertisements in the Delhi Metro when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force.

A bench of Justices V Kameswar Rao and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said a ban on political ads for a limited time does not amount to "total restriction" on carrying out business, nor does it violate freedom of speech under Article 19 (1).

The bench was hearing a plea by a group of companies with advertising rights in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), including contracts for advertising inside and outside trains, and outside civil structures.

The petition challenged the January 2020 order of a single judge, which upheld DMRC banning political adve...