Haridwar hate speech: Supreme Court issues notice to Uttarakhand govt
text_fields
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to Uttarakhand on a petition seeking action against perpetrators of hate speech against minority community at Dharam Sansad in Haridwar and at a congregation in Delhi.
The Uttarakhand government has to respond in ten days. The notice has also been issued to Centre and Delhi police.
Supreme Court further allowed the petitioner to approach local authorities on their request to stop the Dharam Sansad to be held on 23 January in Aligarh (UP).
A bench of headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli were hearing the matter.
The petitioners in the case pointed out that orders had been passed in earlier judgments to appoint nodal officers to take action against such gatherings. In this case, the petioners said, no nodal officer has been appointed. They said that the Supreme Court's orders were not being followed.
The petition, filed by former High Court Justice Anjana Prakash and journalist Kurban Ali, flags hate speeches targeting Muslims and calls for an independent, credible and fair probe by a Special Investigation Team.
"Slogans of the country have changed from Satyameva Jayate to Sashastramev Jayate," Kapil Sibal, senior lawyer, told the top court, adding that only FIRs have been filed but no arrests have been made.
The plea has alleged that the police inaction shows it is hand in glove with perpetrators of communal hate.
At the religious assembly held on December 17-19, various religious leaders made outrageous speeches calling for the use of weapons against Muslims.
After much outrage, the Uttarakhand police first filed an FIR naming only one person - Waseem Rizvi who converted and calls himself Jitendra Tyagi - and 'unknown persons'. Later, four more names were added - Sagar Sidhu Maharaj and Yati Narasimhanand, Dharamdas and Pooja Shakun Pandey.
The conclave was organised by Yati Narasimhanand, a religious leader who has been accused in the past of inciting violence with his inflammatory speeches.