Congress’ Sonia Gandhi, Salman Khurshid and BJP’s Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra.

The Delhi High Court Thursday sought the response of the police and the AAP government on a plea alleging that hate speeches were given by Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Salman Khurshid and the BJP’s Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, news agency PTI reported.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar directed them to file their reply by March 16 and listed the matter, along with all other similar pleas, on March 20.

The petition filed by one Deepak Madan has sought registration of cases against those making hate speeches and setting up of a special investigation team (SIT) to assess property damage in last month’s riots in northeast Delhi, which left over 50 dead and many injured.

The plea also sought the attachment of properties of people allegedly involved in giving hate speeches and suggested selling them off to compensate the victims of the communal violence in the national capital. It said the alleged hate speeches by political figures were not only defamatory but also provocative in nature and led to the communal riots last month.

The petition claimed that the police, instead of taking steps to stop rioters, merely stood as spectators. “Delhi Police did not exercise due diligence against the political persons when hate speeches were delivered by them on public platform. The State Police did not take action against the political persons on time so as to control them from making any further hate speeches and provoke the public which has lead to such a big massacre,” the petition alleged.