Apex court agrees to hear plea for action in Haridwar hate speech case

FORMER PATNA HC JUDGE AND SENIOR ADVOCATE ANJANA PRAKASH, AND JOURNALIST QURBAN ALI, APPROACHED THE SUPREME COURT COMPLAINING OF INACTION

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list for hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a former Patna high court judge and a journalist demanding stringent action against those who made hate speeches at a religious event in Haridwar last month, where some speakers allegedly called for violence against Muslims and Christians.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal mentioned the petition for urgent hearing before a bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, which assured Sibal that the plea would be looked into.

“I have moved this PIL in respect of what happened in Dharam Sansad in Haridwar on 17 and 19 December. We are living in different times where slogans in the country have changed from Satyamev Jayate (truth alone wins) to Shash“okay, tramev Jayate (those with arms only win),” Sibal submitted before the bench, which also included justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli.

To this, the CJI asked Sibal if any inquiry into the case was already on.

“Two FIRS have been filed but no arrests have been made yet. This is in the state of Uttarakhand. No action will be taken without the intervention of Your Lordships,” Sibal replied.

At this, the CJI assured Sibal:

we will look into this.”

The event in Haridwar, held from December 17 to 19, was organised by Yati Narsinghanand, a religious leader who has been accused in the past of inciting violence with his incendiary speeches.

After several controversial videos from the event circulated on social media triggered outrage, the Uttarakhand Police registered a first information report (FIR) against Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi, formerly known as Waseem Rizvi, and others for allegedly giving a “provocative speech” against “a particular religion” at the Dharm Sansad. Rizvi was the former chairman of the Shia Central Waqf Board who converted to Hinduism on December 6 last year in the presence of Tai Narsinghanand Former Patna HC judge and senior advocate Anjana Prakash, and journalist Qurban Ali, approached the Supreme Court complaining of inaction against those who made hate speeches at the Haridwar Dharm Sansad, and in Delhi.

The participating seers in the three day Dharam Sansad had made objectionable speeches against minorities and even former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Few days after a case was registered against the accused in the matter, another video went viral in which inspector Rakendra Kathait, station house officer of Haridwar Kotwali police station where the case was registered, was seen sharing a laugh with the accused including Annapurna Maa, Yati Narsinghanand and Jitendra Narayan Tyagi.

The accused meanwhile, had said that they “stick to their statements in the Dharma Sansad and there was nothing wrong in it.” In addition to that, several other seers had decided to hold a protest meeting on January 16 in Haridwar against the “action taken by police against the accused seers in Dharma Sansad case.”