This Article is From Jan 10, 2022

Haridwar Hate Speeches: Supreme Court Says Will Hear The Matter

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

Haridwar Hate Speeches: Supreme Court Says Will Hear The Matter

The hate speech was made at a religious gathering in Haridwar last month.

New Delhi:

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

"We will take up the matter," Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said today, responding to a petition raised in court by senior lawyer and Congress leader Kapil Sibal.

"We have filed a Public Interest Litigation on the events that took place at the Dharma Sansad in Haridwar. Slogans of the country have changed from Satyameva Jayate to Sashastramev Jayate," said Mr Sibal, urging the Supreme Court to act against the controversial religious gathering last month.

"We will look into it. Hasn't inquiry already taken place," the Chief Justice asked. Mr Sibal said only FIRs had been filed but no arrests had been made.

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.

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 and condemnation, 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 incendiary speeches.

In viral 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.

"If you want to finish them off, then ki|l them... We need 100 soldiers who can kill 20 lakh of them to win this," she told the gathering.

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