A Hindu group has approached the Supreme Court for equal protection of Hindus from past hate speech by Muslim leaders.
Hindu Justice Front seeks intervention petition in a petition calling for Uttarakhand, central government and Delhi police to respond to hate speech by Hindu religious leaders at a religious gathering in Haridwar and Delhi The Justice Front produced a hate speech list of Muslim leaders and clerics, some of which allegedly called for genocide against Hindus, but did nothing.
“Every citizen of India is equally entitled to equal protection of the law, so the concept of majority or minority must not be introduced in the analysis of hate speech incidents,” said the application submitted by advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain.
In seeking judicial review of what constitutes hate speech, the group and two of its members said, “Hate speech is published by individuals to cause social unrest, provoke violence and communal tension. Protection of speech by members of a particular community cannot fall within the purview of hate speech.” To address the issue, the applicants sought to intervene in the Supreme Court’s pending proceedings.
On January 12, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana had issued notice on a petition filed by senior advocate Anjana Prakash and journalist Qurban Ali demanding action against the participants of a religious congregation held in December at Haridwar, where calls were made for violence against Muslims.
The petition also provided the content of another hate speech by Hindu Yuva Vahini at an event organised by Delhi and informed the court that a similar event was planned in the coming months. The matter has not been heard since.
In counter-attack, the application of the Hindu Justice Front highlighted the speeches of All India Parliament Muslim leaders Akbaruddin Owaisi and Waris Pathan, who in 2013 made insulting speeches to Hindu gods and goddesses, saying, “We (Muslims) are 250 million, while You (Hindus) are a billion. Remove the police for 15 minutes and see the result.”
The app produced video links and news clippings showing hate speech by Muslim clerics. An Islamic cleric from West Bengal state in a video threatened to kill 100,000 Rohingya if they were deported. The applicant said no action was taken against the provocative hate speech.
“Provocative speeches by Muslim leaders have created an atmosphere of fear and unease in the Hindu community. Statements like this remind us of the work of the Muslim League, which has led to the division of the country,” the request said.
The application calls for court intervention to prevent Muslim leaders from spreading hatred and violence against Hindus.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
