SC refuses to entertain contempt plea against UP authorities for allowing ‘Dharam Sansad’

New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a contempt petition filed against Uttar Pradesh authorities for allowing the ‘Dharam Sansad’ being organised at Ghaziabad from December 17-21 by controversial Hindu seer Yati Narasinghanand, who has faced allegations of making communal statements against Muslims.

“We are not entertaining any contempt petition, you approach the concerned authorities,” a bench headed by CJI Sanjiv Khanna told advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing on behalf of activist Aruna Roy and others.

The bench flagged that the apex court will be flooded with similar petitions if it entertains the present plea as it asked Bhushan to approach the jurisdictional high court.

However, the bench, also comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar, told Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, to keep track of the event in question and ensure that no hate speeches are given.

“Mr Nataraj, please tell authorities to keep track and video recording has to be kept. Just because we are not entertaining this petition does not mean there could be a violation (of the law laid down by the apex court),” it said.

The Supreme Court reiterated its earlier order to maintain law and order and told all officials to ensure compliance with the law.

The petitioner pointed out that the Ghaziabad administration and UP authorities failed to take action as per SC directions by taking suo motu action against hate speeches.

In April last year, the top court had stressed that the Constitution envisages India as a secular nation, while directing all states and Union Territories to take strict action on hate speech cases, and registering criminal cases, irrespective of religion, against culprits without waiting for a complaint to be filed.

Several petitions were filed before the apex court after hate speeches were made between December 17-19, 2021, in two events organised in Haridwar, by Yati Narsinghanand, and in Delhi, by an organisation named ‘Hindu Yuva Vahini’ with the apparent objective of declaring war against a significant section of the Indian citizenry.

–IANS

pds/vd