The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Uttarakhand and Delhi governments on lack of action from police in the Haridwar and Hindu Vahini Sena hate speech cases, reported Live Law.
Between December 17 and December 19, a religious parliament or “dharam sansad” was held in Haridwar where several Hindutva group members and seers had called for violence against Muslims. During the same weekend, Hindutva group Hindu Yuva Vahini had organised an event in Delhi where people took an oath to “die for and kill” to make India a Hindu nation.
Police have filed two first information reports in the case so far. Jitendra Tyagi, one of the accused persons in the case was granted bail by the top court on September 12.
Social activist Tushar Gandhi had moved the contempt petitions against Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar and Delhi Police Chief Rakesh Asthana in January. Gandhi, in his petition, claimed that the Dharam Sansad violated the 2018 Supreme Court order which had called for the prevention of hate speech, reported India Today.
The Supreme Court bench comprising Justice DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli directed Uttarakhand and Delhi governments to file affidavits explaining the “factual position and actions that have been taken” in the matter, reported Live Law.
The top court also granted four weeks’ time to the newly appointed Attorney General R Venkataramani to assess the affidavits and suggest measures.
The petition alleges that immediately after the events took place in December, the hate speeches were made available to the public. It also noted that the Uttarakhand Police took four days to register the FIR, which was against only one person, while there were at least seven others who had called for the genocide of Muslims.
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