Nuh incident: Ensure no hate speech and no violence, SC directs authorities concerned

New Delhi [India]: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the authorities concerned to ensure that there is no hate speech against any community and there is no violence or damage to any properties in any protest rallies being organised in the national capital.

The top court did not put any stay on rallies organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti passed the direction while hearing an intervening application filed in the matter.

The protest rallies are being organised by VHP in the wake of Nuh violence. The top court directed the authorities concerned to comply with the directions given by the apex court on October 21, 2022 over restriction on hate speech.

The court asked the state and police authorities to ensure that there should not be any hate speech against any community or violence or damage to any property.

The top court also directed to deploy additional police or para-military forces to maintain law and order.

The top court also directed that authorities should ensure the use of CCTV cameras or video recordings in all sensitive areas wherever required. The top court also stressed on preserving the video recordings.

The court also issued notice to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh Government and listed the matter for August 4. Meanwhile Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appeared for Centre and sought time to file response to the fresh application.

Senior Advocate CU Singh apprised the top court that 23 rallies are being organised. The top court noted that authorities are aware of the situation and they should take action whenever required. The court said that law and order is a policing issue that should be taken care of.

The application was filed by one Shaheen Adbulla. The application was filed through advocate Sumita Hazarika and Rashmi Singh. The applicant apprised the court that it has now come to the knowledge of the petitioner that in the aftermath of the unfortunate violence that broke out in Nuh and Gurgaon, Haryana that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is planning to conduct rallies in Delhi and Noida purportedly against the communal violence in Haryana.

The rallies that are planned on August 2 are in areas include Delhi-Haryana border, Noida in Uttar Pradesh; Manesar, Haryana and 23 localities in Delhi including Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Mayur Vihar, Mukherjee Nagar, Narela, Moti Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Nangloi, Ambedkar Nagar, Najafgarh etc.

According to the application, the situation in Nuh and Gurgaon continues to be extremely tense and even the slightest provocation could result in serious loss of life and damage to property, rallies that are likely to fan communal fires and incite people to resort to violence, ought not to be permitted.

The applicant submitted that such rallies that demonize communities and openly call for violence and killing of people are not limited in terms of their impact to just those areas that are presently dealing with communal tensions but will inevitably lead to communal disharmony and violence of an unfathomable scale across the country.

The application submitted that considering the extremely precarious situation currently prevailing in the aforementioned areas a very legitimate apprehension of communal persecution has arisen that requires the urgent attention of the top court.

The petitioner sought to direct authorities concerned to take adequate action so as to ensure that the rallies scheduled to take place on August 2 are not allowed. The petitioner sought to direct the respondents to record the same and place the footage, transcripts and translations.

The application also sought to issue appropriate directions for taking down of all such videos, posts, programmes etc. in relation with the incidents that have taken place in Nuh and Gurgaon, Haryana that are spreading misinformation and inciting communal disharmony from all social media platforms.