Delhi high court notice to government, police on pleas over hate speeches

NEW DELHI: Delhi high court on Friday sought the response of the Centre, Delhi government and police on a batch of plea demanding registration of FIRs against several politicians, including Congress’ Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, and AIMIM’s Akbaruddin Owaisi, for allegedly making hate speeches.
One of the plea by a lawyers’ group has named the Gandhis as well as Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, MLA Amanatullah Khan, and AIMIM’s Owaisi and Waris Pathan.A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued the notice on the Lawyers Voice’s petition, which wants setting up of a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the alleged hate speeches.
The court also acted on three separate applications — by one Sanjjiiv Kkumaar, Hindu Sena’s Vishnu Gupta and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad — who have sought to intervene in a petition moved early this week for lodging FIRs against BJP’s Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Kapil Mishra for alleged hate speeches.
Kkumaar has sought an FIR against activist Harsh Mander, who has demanded an FIR against the BJP leaders. Kkumaar has also sought FIRs against Khan, Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker and RJ Sayema for alleged hate speeches. Gupta has sought prosecution of Pathan, Asaduddin and Akbaruddin Owaisi. Azad argued that an FIR against Mishra must be registered immediately, alleging his speeches were “responsible for inciting” the violence in northeast Delhi. All matters will be heard along with Mander’s PIL on April 13.