New Delhi: The Delhi High Court sought Friday the response of the Centre, Delhi government and the police on pleas seeking FIRs against political leaders including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, for alleged hate speeches.A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued the notice.
The pleas have also sought FIRs against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan, AIMIM leader and MP Akbaruddin Owaisi and a leader of the same party Waris Pathan.
Apart from registration of FIRs, the petition by ‘Lawyers Voice’ also seeks setting up of a special investigation (SIT) team to look into the alleged hate speeches by all of them.
Two separate applications were filed in another petition relating to alleged hate speech by three BJP leaders, seeking action against AIMIM leaders Pathan, Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan, actor Swara Bhasker and radio jockey Sayema for alleged hate speeches by them.
One of the applications by Vishnu Gupta of fringe right-wing outfit ‘Hindu Sena’, has sought FIRs against the AIMIM leaders alleging that hate speeches by them surcharged communal tension in Delhi.
The other application by Sanjiv Kumar has sought a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the communal violence in northeast Delhi and the alleged hate speeches by Khan, Bhasker, Sayema and Harsh Mander, who filed the petition seeking FIR against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Kapil Mishra.
Both applications have been filed in Mander’s petition and the applicants have also sought to be impleaded in the matter.
Apart from the action against the BJP leaders, Mander’s petition had also sought lodging of FIRs and arrests in connection with the communal violence in northeast Delhi over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The high court issued notice to the MHA, Delhi government and police and sought their stand on these fresh applications, which have been listed for hearing April 30.
PTI