The apex courts directs strict measures to prevent hate speeches by administrations of two districts of Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
BJP Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh.
In a case related to the alleged communally incendiary statements by T Raja Singh, BJP’s MLA from Telangana’s Goshamahal, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, 17 January, accepted some of his speeches were “certainly objectionable” and asked the administrations of two districts in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra to take appropriate measures to prevent hate speeches or incitement to violence in rallies by Raja Singh.
The Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said no pre-emptive action can, however, be taken for his future speeches.
The court was hearing an interlocutory application seeking to direct the authorities to refuse permission for the rallies proposed by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and BJP at Yavatmal (on 18 January) and Raipur (from 19 to 25 January), respectively.
The court pointed out when the petitioner’s counsel sought action that Raja Singh was not even made a party to the case before it.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioner, said Singh can be made a party to the case.
However, Justice Khanna said, “Let it be. By the time it is done, the event will be over.”
Kapil Sibal urged the court to intervene to check Singh’s hate speeches. He argued that lodging an FIR against the BJP MLA was not deterring him from continuing to deliver alleged hate speeches.
Sibal said, “When the event takes place, we come to this court, and an FIR is lodged. But nothing is done. Then, he continues with this kind of speech. What is the point of all this then? See the kind of hatred he is propagating!”
The Court remarked that the government has to take steps.
The court then issued directions: “We require the authorities to be cautious of the fact that no incitement to violence or hate speech can be permitted. We accordingly direct the district magistrate of Yavatmal, Maharashtra and Raipur, Chhattisgarh, to take notice of the allegations and take appropriate steps as may be advised and required. If necessary and deemed appropriate, the police will install CCTV cameras with recording facilities so that perpetrators can be identified if any event happens.”
It also urged the police to install CCTV cameras to ensure that perpetrators can be apprehended. The matter was adjourned to February 5.
As recently as 6 January, an FIR was registered against Raja Singh for an alleged hate speech during a “Hindu Jan Aakrosh” rally in Solapur in Maharashtra. The rally was also attended by leaders of the Sakal Hindu Samaj, an umbrella body of several outfits, whose office bearers were named in the FIR.
“Ram Lalla has been seated in Ayodhya, and now we have two more places to cover. We will demolish the illegal structures there and will build temples. Next is Mathura and the Gyanvapi mosque (Varanasi) will also be demolished,” Raja Singh had said at the rally in a speech in Hindi.
He also urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to take action against the so-called “love jihad” and warned that “or else, we will take the necessary actions”.
Raja Singh was suspended from the BJP in August 2022, for his alleged unsavoury remarks against Prophet Mohammad in a video posted on YouTube. The video was in response to a scheduled to show by stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui in Hyderabad.
The BJP suspended Singh from the party hours after his arrest by the Hyderabad police. The MLA, arrested under the provisions of the Preventive Detention (PD) Act, was released in November 2022 after the Telangana High Court set aside his arrest.
His suspension was revoked ahead of the 30 November Assembly election in Telangana, when he was given the ticket to contest again from Goshamahal in Hyderabad.
Singh, who has more than 75 criminal cases against him, was the only BJP candidate to win the state Assembly elections in 2018.
The party on 8 January made him in-charge of the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency which is represented by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
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