Haridwar Hate Speech Case To Be Heard By Supreme Court Tomorrow

Hate speeches including open calls for genocide made at a "Dharma Sansad" in Haridwar will be taken up by the Supreme Court tomorrow.

A bench of headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli will hear the matter.

The petition, filed by former High Court Justice Anjana Prakash and journalist Kurban Ali, flags hate speeches targeting Muslims and calls for an independent, credible and fair probe by a Special Investigation Team.

"Slogans of the country have changed from Satyameva Jayate to Sashastramev Jayate," Kapil Sibal, senior lawyer, told the top court yesterday, adding that only FIRs have been filed but no arrests have been made.

The plea has alleged that the police inaction shows it is hand in glove with perpetrators of communal hate.

At the religious assembly held on December 17-19, various religious leaders made outrageous speeches calling for the use of weapons against Muslims.

After much outrage, the Uttarakhand police first filed an FIR naming only one person - Waseem Rizvi who converted and calls himself Jitendra Tyagi - and 'unknown persons'. Later, four more names were added - Sagar Sidhu Maharaj and Yati Narasimhanand, Dharamdas and Pooja Shakun Pandey.

The conclave was organised by Yati Narasimhanand, a religious leader who has been accused in the past of inciting violence with his inflammatory speeches.

In one of the controversial clips, Prabodhanand Giri was heard saying: "Like Myanmar, our police, our politicians, our Army and every Hindu must pick up weapons and conduct a Safayi Abhiyan (ethnic cleansing). There is no other option left."

He later told NDTV that he had no regrets. "I am not ashamed of what I have said. I am not afraid of police. I stand by my statement," he said.

Another video from the controversial meet showed Pooja Shakun Pandey, aka "Sadhvi Annapurna", giving a call to arms and urging violence against Muslims.