FIRs on Hate Speech: ‘10-12 People Dying Everyday’, Pleads Gonsalves, but HC Puts Off Hearing till April 13

New Delhi: A day after the Delhi High Court bench directed the Delhi Police to take a “conscious decision” and file FIRs against three BJP leaders for hate speeches, another bench on Thursday put off the hearing on the matter till April 13, after the police bought more time, saying the “situation was not conducive” for doing so.

On Wednesday, an HC bench, headed by Justice S Muralidhar (whose transfer was ‘suddenly’ notified late last night) had pulled up the Delhi Police and directed it to file FIRs against ‘hate speeches’ related to the violence in Delhi, which has claimed at least 34 lives and over 200 people have been injured. The three BJP leaders are: Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma.

However, on Thursday, a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar granted four weeks to the Centre and the police to file their replies to the PIL seeking lodging of FIRs against three BJP leaders for allegedly making hate speeches.

Even as senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who represented petitioner Harsh Mander, requested a closer date for the next hearing, the bench adjourned the matter till April 13 on Thursday, reported Bar and Bench.

While seeking the FIRs against the leaders of the ruling party, Gonsalves said, “They should be taken off the streets of Delhi and a message should be sent that no matter who you are, the moment you incite, you will be held responsible.”

He added, “We want an order, very quickly, that since it is indisputable that the statements were made. It is a clear cut and prima facie case that it is hate speech resulting in murder… The crime is so serious and the repsetition is on an everyday basis. These people are very high people in party and the Government… The implication is that it’s alright to kill.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that as the Centre is responsible for maintaining law and order in Delhi, it be made a party in the matter, which was allowed by the court.

He informed the bench that 48 FIRs have been lodged in relation to the violence and said there be no judicial intervention till normalcy is restored in the national capital.

Mehta said the FIRs have been lodged in relation to arson, looting and the deaths in the communal violence.

The high court had on Wednesday expressed “anguish” over the Delhi Police's failure to register FIRs against three BJP leaders over their alleged hate speeches in connection with the Citizenship (Amendment) Act-related violence and observed that the city had seen enough violence and it should not witness another 1984 anti-Sikh riots-like incident.

Also read: ‘Midnight’ Notification on Transfer of Judge Who Reprimanded Delhi Police Raises Eyebrows