Delhi Police says no hate speech made at Dharm Sansad

New Delhi, Apr 14: The speakers at the Dharm Sansad (religious assembly) in Delhi on December 19 did not make any hate speech against the Muslim community, the Delhi Police said.

In its affidavit the Delhi Police also questioned the petitioners for moving the Supreme Court without approaching the police first.

"In-depth investigation of the video and other material found that no hate speech was given against any community. Therefore, after investigation and evaluation of the purported video clip, it was concluded that the alleged speech contained no hate speech against a particular community," the police said in its affidavit.

The court is hearing a petition filed by former judge of the Patna High Court, Justice Anjana Prakash and journalist Qurban Ali. The plea said that between December 17 and 19, 2021, at two separate events organised in Delhi and Haridwar hate speeches were made, comprising of open calls for genocide of Muslims.

"We must practice tolerance to the views of others. Intolerance is as much dangerous to democracy as to the person himself. Petitioner is trying to draw an incorrect and absurd inference by isolated passages disregarding the main theme and its message. Supreme Court has repeatedly said that freedom of expression must be allowed unless community interest is endangered. In this case, the public interest is not endangered," the Delhi Police said in its affidavit.

"The allegations made by the petitioners against the police authorities that police authorities are hand in glove with perpetrators of communal hate are baseless and imaginary. The case is based on videotape evidence. There is hardly any scope on the part of investigation agencies to tamper with the evidence or hamper the investigation in any manner," the police said.