The Delhi High Court had granted the Centre four weeks to file a counter-affidavit to the plea by activists Harsh Mander and Farah Naqvi on registration of FIRs against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Sahib Singh and Abhay Verma and others over their hate speeches.
The Supreme Court will hear on Wednesday victims’ petitions seeking FIRs against BJP leaders for hate speeches that allegedly resulted in communal violence that flared up in Delhi last week. The petition was filed by a few riot victims.
Asserting that he wants peace to prevail, Chief Justice SA Bobde said people think that approaching the top court can stop rioting, but it has its own limitation. “People think this can stop rioting Courts come on to the scene after the thing is done. We wish peace. But we know there are some limitations on judicial power,” said Bobde. The apex court although told the petitioners that the Delhi High Court is already looking into the matter, fixed the matter for hearing on March 4.
The petition was mentioned for urgent listing by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the victims of the riot. Gonsalves said that thethe matters related to riots in the national capital despite the fact that people are still dying due to the recent violence. The High Court, during the hearing last week, said it would not allow a repeat of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the capital.
The bench of Chief Justice Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar granted the Centre four weeks to file a counter-affidavit to the plea by activists Harsh Mander and Farah Naqvi on registration of FIRs against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Sahib Singh and Abhay Verma and others over their hate speeches.
Justice Muralidhar, who had heard the case a day earlier, had pulled up Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, telling him: “You say that it is not an appropriate stage. As per you, when will it be that stage? After the city has burnt down? How many more lives have to be lost?… Why are you not showing alacrity when it comes to registration of FIR in these cases? We want peace to prevail. This city has seen enough violence. Let it not repeat 1984.” It had also played the video clip of Mishra’s speech in open courtroom. The judge was transferred and the case was taken up by Chief Justice DN Patel.
At least 46 people have been killed in the violence.