ENSURE NO HATE SPEECH AT HINDU SABHA: SC TO MAHA GOVT

NEW DELHI: The idea of a secular state is to prevent rash speeches by keeping vigil, the Supreme Court told the Maharashtra government on Friday as it directed the state to ensure no hate speech or statements disturbing public order are made at a proposed Hindu Jan Akrosh event in Mumbai on Sunday. It has also asked the state make preventive arrests and videograph the event.

The court was dealing with an application filed by one Shaheen Abdulla who sought prohibition of the event as a similar event conducted on January 29 by the same organizers – Sakal Hindu Samaj – witnessed an open call for social and economic boycott of Muslims by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA T Raja Singh.

The bench of justices KM Joseph and JB Pardiwala said, “We may be reluctant to hold that you do not hold this procession. What the state should ensure is that during the event, there should not be any rash statement made. For that, authorities have to keep vigil.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the state pointed out that as on date, no request for permission has been received by the authorities for the February 5 event. The bench said, “Suppose you make a speech, people of this community may not be in a position to fight back and create a law-andorder situation. The whole idea of a secular state is to see that all these things should stop.”

The applicant represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal also proposed videography of the entire event. As the state agreed to the suggestion, the bench held, “We direct the police inspector of the area to conduct the videography.”