The Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum on Monday wrote to the Supreme Court, seeking action against the people who shouted inflammatory ...
The Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum on Monday wrote to the Supreme Court, seeking action against the people who shouted inflammatory slogans that called for violence against Muslims at a rally in Jantar Mantar, reported Bar and Bench.
“These slogans whipping up hatred against the Muslims is not protected speech under the Indian Constitution, and is prima facie hate speech,” the forum said in its letter to top court’s registrar. “The speeches made at the rally must not be confused with the right to freedom of dissenting or critical speech.”
The meeting held on Sunday evening was called as part of a “Bharat jodo [Unite India] movement” by former spokesperson of the Delhi unit of Bharatiya Janata Party Ashwini Upadhyay. The organisers demanded an end to “colonial-era laws” by setting up a uniform civil code in the country. They had not taken permission for the event, the Delhi Police told The Indian Express.
Videos from the event showed a group of people shouting slogans such as: “Jab mulle kaate jayenge, Ram-Ram chillayenge [Muslims will chant Ram-Ram when they will be slaughtered].”
Those who attended the rally also flouted Covid-19 guidelines as they neither wore masks nor maintained physical distancing norms. A journalist present at Jantar Mantar was also assaulted and asked to chant “Jai Shri Ram”.
However, Upadhyay claimed that the slogans...
