Published 22:02 IST, August 26th 2020
Delhi court junks plea seeking FIR against Anurag Thakur & Parvesh Verma for hate speech
Delhi Rouse Avenue Court, on Wednesday, dismissed a plea by CPI(M) seeking FIR filed against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for hate-speech
In a massive development, a Delhi Rouse Avenue Court, on Wednesday, dismissed a plea by CPI(M) leaders Brinda Karat and KM Tiwari seeking FIR filed against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for hate speech during the Delhi election campaigns. The judge dismissed the plea for lack of previous sanction from Centre as they were public servants. The court has previously not passed any orders as the Delhi High Court was hearing the same issue.
Delhi court dismisses plea seeking FIR for hate speech
Moreover, the Delhi police has claimed that no cognizable offence had been found to been committed by Thakur and Verma and that it could not be presumed that their statements speeches incited violence. The Delhi High Court had pulled up then-Commissioner Amulya Pattnaik for not registering n FIR against BJP leaders - Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for their incendiary speeches ahead of the Delhi riots. While the court gave police a month's time to investigate, the country was then struck by COVID-19 pandemic - forcing most courts to go online.
What did Thakur and Parvesh Verma say?
Ahead of the Delhi state assembly elections, Thakur- who is MoS Finance - had chanted 'Desh Ke Gaddaron ko goli maaro' in a election rally, triggering a major controversy in Febraury. Similarly, BJP MP Parvesh Verma had said, "Lakhs of people gather at Shaheen Bagh. They will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, kill them. There is time today, Modi Ji and Amit Shah won't come to save you tomorrow," on election day. Both were slapped with a limited election campaign ban by Election commission.
Delhi riots 2020
Clashes began between pro-CAA and anti-CAA groups as both camps resorted to stone-pelting on February 23 after Shaheen Bagh-like protests started in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh. The situation deteriorated even as Delhi Police was present at the spot as houses, shops, and buses were burnt. While the Home Minister reviewed the situation on February 24 and 25 - while President Donald Trump visited India, the violence increased killing 53 and injuring over 400. Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Chand Bagh and Shiv Vihar are among the areas mainly affected by the riots. Reports state that Delhi police have filed at least 111 charge sheets thus far in connection with the riots, naming 650 people.
Updated 22:02 IST, August 26th 2020