The SC has issued a notice to the Uttarakhand government in the Haridwar hate speech case. The petitioners in the case pointed out that orders had been passed in earlier judgments to appoint nodal officers to take action against such gatherings. In this case, the petioners said, no nodal officer had been appointed. They said that the Supreme Court’s orders were not being followed. Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, also said that more Dharam Sansads have been announced. “Something needs to be done before the next Sansad,” he said.
Provocative and communal speeches were made against minority communities during a three-day “Dharam Sansad” or religious assembly held in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar from December 17 to December 19. Several Hindu religious leaders, who addressed the gathering, called upon the community to take up arms against Muslims as they gave a clarion call for a ‘Hindu nation’.