The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Centre, Delhi government and Delhi police on a plea, filed by advocate Sanjjiiv Kkumar, seeking hate speech FIRs against Swara Bhasker, activist Harsh Mander, Radio Mirchi’s RJ Sayema, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and others. It also seeks an investigation by the National Investigation Agency into these people, reported LiveLaw. The court will next hear the matter on 13 April.
“The plan of this Urban Naxal group was to defame India, to paint India as failed State and thus to bleed my Mother India internationally, economically and in every way possible,” the petition states. Kkmuar further adds that the people mentioned in the plea instigated the recent violence that broke out in northeast Delhi by blocking roads.
He added, “The plan seems to got failed (sic) as the perpetrators of the Delhi Seige hasn't anticipated that people mostly Hindus will react to any further road blockage and they couldn't divert the police from other locations. This was their guerilla tactics to block roads of Delhi by creating riots and riots like situation all over Delhi,”
The plea also sought FIRs against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Pravesh Mishra, for making speeches that instigated the violence. It also asked for their immediate arrest.
Swara is among the few Bollywood celebrities who have been vocal participants in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). She has spoken out against the CAA and the ensuing violence in media appearances as well as on social media. In response to the news, the actor quote tweeted a video of BJP spokesperson Samit Patra saying “Hindu jago warna katne ke liye taiyyar ho jaao,” offering it as an example of “real hate speech”.
As another example, she quote tweeted a post by veteran journalist R Jagannathan that read: “Hindus should know they are in a long term civilisational war. Every Hindu must commit to do his bit and fight on till the goal is achieved. Ensuring global peace and diversity and pluralism depends on defeating the ideas propelling predatory, expansionist and imperialist faiths.”
She also tweeted, “You can cut our tongues off, but remember, as Pash said: The truth is like grass. It will spread wherever you try to destroy it.”
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