HC seeks police reply on hate speeches

THE PETITION HAS SOUGHT SETTING UP OF SIT TO ASSESS THE PROPERTY DAMAGE IN LAST MONTH’S VIOLENCE IN NE DELHI

NEWDELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the response of the police and the AAP government in the national capital on a fresh plea alleging that hate speeches were delivered by Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Salman Khurshid and the BJP’S Anurag Thakur and Kapil Mishra.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued notice to the police and the Delhi government on the petition, which has also sought registration of cases against those who allegedly gave the hate speeches.

The petition has sought setting up of a special investigation team (SIT) to assess the property damage in last month’s communal violence in northeast Delhi.

The bench asked the Delhi government and the police to file their replies by March 16 and listed the matter, along with all other similar pleas, for hearing on March 20.

In the other matters pertaining to hate speeches, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought time till March 16 to file a reply and the same was granted by the court.

The other petitions regarding hate speech include one by activist Harsh Mander seeking registration of FIR against three BJP leaders for alleged hate speeches by them. Another plea filed by a group called Lawyers’ Voice has sought registration of FIRS against various political leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for allegedly making hate speeches.

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat has filed two petitions in the high court, one seeking directions to make public the list of persons arrested in connection with the recent Delhi violence and the other challenging a trial court order deferring the decision on her complaint seeking direction to the police to lodge FIRS against the BJP leaders who allegedly gave hate speeches.

The latest petition has been filed by one Deepak Madan, who has sought the attachment of properties of people allegedly involved in giving hate speeches and suggested selling them off to compensate the victims of the communal vi ol ence i n t he national capital.

I t s a i d t he a l l e g e d hat e speeches by political figures were not only defamatory but also provocative in nature and led to the communal riots last month.

The plea has sought booking of t hese l eaders under t he National Security Act for allegedly continuously posting hate speeches and disturbing the country’s integrity as their speeches led to destruction of properties in different areas of northeast Delhi.

The plea claimed that no action has been taken against the politicians who allegedly delivered hate speeches, even though “impact of these hate and provocative speeches have been seen in North East, East Delhi and Shahdara district of Delhi where instances of multiple riots and mob attacks has caused deaths, loss of properties and severe injuries in many cases”.

The petition claimed that the police, instead of taking steps to stop rioters, merely stood as spectators.