On Wednesday, the Supreme Court declined to consider a plea that called for action to be taken against potential hate speech at the next Mahapanchayat in Uttarakhand. The petitioner was advised to first approach the High Court, and the petitioner should place their faith in the High Court, according to a vacation bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah.
“Why does the High Court inspire such mistrust? Additionally, they have authority. You ought to have some faith. We do not know the reason for this short circuit or the cause. Why do you dislike the government”?
The petitioner subsequently withdrew the argument, and the High Court granted her freedom to do so. “Counsel is given liberty to move the High Court or any authority for relief, plea is dismissed as withdrawn,” the Court said.
This morning, lawyer Shahrukh Alam brought up the issue, stating that it was urgent and noting the court’s ongoing injunction against hate speech. She stated, “They have called for a mahapanchayat, saying a community must depart by the 15th.”
Tomorrow in Purola, the Mahapanchayat is scheduled to take place amidst ongoing racial conflict. The Association for Protection of Civil Rights, the petitioner, claims that if the hate speech event is permitted to go ahead, it would fuel racial tensions.
So, in addition to taking legal action such assuring the protection of individuals who are likely to be impacted and stopping the hate speech incident, the appeal had asked the respondents to be given instructions to take stern action against those in question. The petitioner also demanded the filing of a criminal complaint and an unbiased investigation into the situation.
The Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand Police were instructed by the Supreme Court to act independently in cases of hate speech without considering the religion of the perpetrators in October 2022. The country’s states and union territories were included in the scope of that ruling by the highest court in April of this year.
The immediate plea was drafted by attorneys Archit Krishna, Priya Vats Mohammad Shaz Khan, Tamanna Pankaj, and Adnan Yousuf in addition to attorneys Alam and Rahman.
Written By- Aditya Singh, College Name- Army Law College, Pune, Semester- 2nd Semester Student an Intern under Legal Vidhya