Haridwar Hate Speech: Supreme Court issues notice to Uttarakhand, seeks reply in 10 days

New Delhi, Jan 12: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to Uttrakhand and Delhi governments on a petition seeking an independent inquiry into the Haridwar Dharm Sansad hate speeches. The apex court also sought reply withing 10 days.

The Supreme Court allowed the petitioners to approach local authorities with their request to stop another Dharma Sansad to be held in UP's Aligarh on January 23.

The petition, filed by journalist Qurban Ali and former Patna High Court judge and senior advocate Anjana Prakash, has sought a direction for an "independent, credible and impartial investigation" by an SIT into the incidents of hate speeches against the Muslim community.

The plea, which specifically referred to the "hate speeches" delivered between the "17th & 19th of December 2021 at Haridwar and Delhi", has also sought compliance of apex court's guidelines to deal with such speeches.

One event was organised in Haridwar by Yati Narsinghanand and the other in Delhi by 'Hindu Yuva Vahini' allegedly "calling for genocide of members" of a community, it said.

The Uttarakhand Police filed the FIR on December 23 under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code against some persons including Sant Dharamdas Maharaj, Sadhvi Annapoorna alias Pooja Shakun Pandey, Yati Narsinghanand and Sagar Sindhu Maharaj.

A similar complaint was filed with the Delhi Police for the second event organised in the national capital.

The plea said that no effective steps have been taken by Uttarakhand and Delhi police.

Till date no FIR has been lodged by the Delhi Police despite calls for ethnic cleansing at the event organised here, it said.

Besides this petition, another plea has also been filed in the apex court by the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind to ban anti-Muslim speeches and programmes like the 'Dharma Sansad'.

"Hate speeches and statements against Muslims have suddenly intensified in the country in recent times," the plea said.

The petition has demanded stern legal action against those who allegedly threatened to massacre Muslims and said it was not just a matter of religion but of the Constitution, law, unity and integrity of the country.