The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the district magistrate and superintendent of police in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal and Chhattisgarh’s Raipur to prevent the occurrence of hate speeches during upcoming rallies organized by a Hindu outfit and BJP legislator Thakur Raja Singh in the next week within their respective jurisdictions.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta declined to halt the scheduled rallies, emphasizing that the parties accused of making hate speeches were not present before the court. However, the bench mandated the district magistrates and SPs of both districts to ensure the presence of CCTV cameras at the rally venues, equipped with recording facilities to facilitate the identification of individuals engaging in hate speech.
The court issued this order in response to an application filed within the ongoing plea of Shaheen Abdulla, alleging numerous instances of hate speeches. The application pointed out that a rally by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is planned for January 18 in Yavatmal district, with concerns about potential hate speeches. Similarly, it highlighted that rallies by T Raja Singh are scheduled in Raipur district from January 19 to 25, raising similar apprehensions.
While the petitioner sought the cancellation of permission for these rallies, the bench declined, citing existing court guidelines addressing such incidents.
