70 SC lawyers demand Suo Moto Cognizance of hate speeches in Haridwar

Seventy eminent lawyers of the Supreme Court has written a letter to the Chief Justice of India, Justice N.V.Ramana and prayed for taking “Suo Moto Cognizance of hate speeches calling for the genocide of Muslims given in Haridwar and Delhi.”

In the letter, the lawyers have said that between the 17th & 19th of December 2021 at two separate events organized in Delhi (by the Hindu Yuva Vahini) and Haridwar (by Yati Narsinghanand), hate speeches consisting of open calls for genocide of Muslims in order to achieve ethnic cleansing, were made.

“The aforementioned events and the speeches delivered during the same are not mere hate speeches but amount to an open call for the murder of an entire community. The said speeches thus, pose a grave threat not just to the unity and integrity of our country but also endanger the lives of millions of Muslim citizens,” the letter said.

It added, “In view of the seriousness and gravity of the aforementioned events it is most humbly prayed that Your Lordship may take suo-moto cognizance of the same and direct that action be taken against the guilty persons under Sections 120B, 121A, 153A, 153B, 295A and 298 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.”

The lawyers have also pointed out that the recent speeches are a part of a series of similar speeches that we have come across in the past.

"It may be noted that no effective steps have been taken under the provisions of 153, 153A, 153B, 295A, 504, 506, 120B, 34 of IPC in respect of the earlier hate speeches. Thus, urgent judicial intervention is required to prevent such events that seem to have become the order of the day. We have also been informed that in this regard a few Petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution of India are also pending for consideration before the Hon’ble Supreme Court,” the letter added.