17 January 2024
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the district magistrates and superintendents of police of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal and Chhattisgarh’s Raipur to ensure no hate speeches are made during rallies of a Hindu outfit and BJP legislator T Raja Singh scheduled to be held in the next one week in their jurisdictions.
A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta however refused to stay the proposed rallies, saying the parties against whom the allegations of hate speeches are made are not before the court.
The court has directed DMs and SPs of both the districts to ensure CCTV cameras at the venue of rallies with recording facilities, so that perpetrators of hate speeches can be identified, if hate speech takes place or if anything goes wrong.
The bench passed the order on an application moved in the pending plea of Shaheen Abdulla in which it was alleged that several instances of hate speeches have been reported. It said that in Yavatmal district, a rally of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is scheduled on January 18 and there is apprehension of hate speeches.
Similarly, the application said that in Raipur district Singh’s rallies are scheduled from January 19-25 and there is apprehension of hate speeches.
The petitioner sought revocation of permission to hold rallies, which the bench refused, saying there are already guidelines issued on the issue by this court to check such incidents.
“We accordingly direct the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police of Yavatmal, Maharashtra and Raipur, Chhattisgarh to take notice of the allegations and take appropriate steps as required. If necessary and deemed appropriate, police will install CCTV cameras with recording facilities so that perpetrators can be identified, if anything happens,” the bench said in its order.
