SC agrees to hear petition seeking action against 'Dharam Sansad' speakers

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea seeking action against the speakers at the Haridwar Dharam Sansad, where inflammatory and genocidal calls against Muslims were made.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a petition seeking an independent inquiry into the Haridwar Dharam Sansad speeches which were allegedly derogatory towards the Muslim Community. The petition was filed by journalist Qurban Ali and former High Court judge and senior advocate Anjana Prakash at the Supreme Court.

Representing the petitioners, senior advocate Kapil Sibal proposed the matter for urgent hearing before a bench of CJI NV Ramana, Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli. The bench, on Monday, reassured that the case will be heard on priority without delay. The plea sought the arrest and trial of people who made hate speeches at the Haridwar Dharam Sansad between December 17 and 19, 2021, which include Yati Narsinghanand and the 'Hindu Yuva Vahini'.

The prosecution informed the bench that although FIRs have been registered against the hate mongers, no action has been taken against them despite the passage of three weeks since the incident happened.

"We are living in very dangerous times where slogans in the country have changed from Satyamev Jayate to Shashtramev Jayate. This (event) was in the State of Uttarakhand. No action will be taken without the intervention of the Court," Sibal told the apex court.

"It is pertinent to note that the said speeches are not mere hate speeches, but amount to an open call for the murder of an entire community. They pose a grave threat not just to the unity and integrity of our country, but also endanger the lives of millions of Muslim citizens," the plea said.

The plea further highlighted a video that had gone viral wherein a police officer can be seen acknowledging his allegiance to the offenders. "Not only the inaction of the Police allows delivery of hate speeches with impunity but also shows that the Police authorities are in fact hand in glove with the perpetrators of communal hate," the plea added.

While commenting on the matter, one of the petitioners Qurban Ali said that such speeches show an increase in structural and physical violence, and the response of investigating authorities is arbitrary, inconsistent and displays abuse of process.

Meanwhile, reacting to this call, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association has lodged a complaint the Secretary-General of the Supreme Court of India regarding the anonymous call. The complaint seeks immediate action on the 'violation of the privacy of the Advocates on Records as their numbers are in the public domain and have been compromised' as implied by this call.