New Delhi, March 2 2024-
The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday (March 4) a PIL seeking registration of FIR against AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan, actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and other political leaders over their alleged hate speeches given against Hindu community.
As per the details published on the website of the apex court, the plea will be taken up for hearing by a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta on March 4.
The public interest litigation (PIL) seeks action into the hate speeches “that have been delivered in various events organised all over India with the apparent objective of declaring war against a significant section of the Indian Citizenry”.
“The aforementioned hate speeches consisted of open calls for genocide of Hindu in order to achieve ethnic cleansing. It is pertinent to note that the said speeches are not mere hate speeches but amount to an open call for murder of member of Hindu,” said the plea filed by President of Hindu Sena, Vishnu Gupta.
It added that the respondents are guilty of disregarding the directions issued by the Supreme Court in the case of Tehseen Poonawalla v. Union of India and seeks consequential directions, including punitive action against alleged incidents of hate speeches. The PIL referred to the “provocative speech” given by AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi in Hyderabad on January 1 inciting the Muslim youth to galvanise and inhabit mosques, otherwise their mosques would be snatched away from them like the disputed Babri structure at Ayodhya.
The plea referred to the “hate speech” given by Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin in September last year, calling for eradication of ‘Sanatan Dharma’ like dengue and malaria, rather than opposing it.
Similarly, the petition mentioned the statement given by Maharashtra leader Jitendra Awhad saying that Lord Ram could not live in the jungle for 14 years by just being a vegetarian and Kshatriyas can eat non-vegetarian food.
Further, it cited the remarks made by Bihar MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh, who has described temples as a “path to mental slavery”.
As per the petition, Singh had said: “If you get injured, where will you go? Temple or hospital? If you want education and want to become an officer, MLA, or MP, will you go to a temple or school?” The PIL said that Swami Prasad Maurya, former Samajwadi Party leader “attacked Hindus and mocked the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya which took place on 22nd January this year”. “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 Hindu citizens,” it added. (Agency)
