High Court angry over no FIRs against political leaders for provocative speeches

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi Police to 'take a conscious decision with respect to the registration of FIRs against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Kapil Mishra, and others, who made alleged hate speeches that may have incited violence in the national capital.

Cautioning authorities that the 1984 anti-Sikh riots should not be allowed to be repeated, the Delhi High Court expressed "anguish" over the police inaction.

The alleged failure of the Delhi police to check the communal riots in northeast Delhi that broke out on Sunday night and involving those for and against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act also came under the scanner of the Supreme Court which rebuked it for failing to act "professionally".

The riots have left at least 24 dead and around 200 injured. The apex court lashed out at the law enforcing agencies for allowing the "instigators of violence" to get away and said they should act as per law without waiting for somebody's nod.

"If somebody makes an inflammatory remark, the police has to take action," said a bench comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph.

A High Court bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Talwant Singh said when the police can register 11 FIRs in incidents including arson, looting, stone pelting, why it did not show alacrity when it came doing so in connection with the alleged hate speeches by the three BJP leaders -- Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Kapil Mishra.

Thakur and Verma had made provocative remarks during the Delhi Assembly poll campaign.

"Why are you not showing alacrity when it comes to registration of FIR in these cases?... We want peace to prevail. We do not want the city to witness another 1984 riots.

This city has seen enough violence and anguish. Let it not repeat 1984," the bench said. The anti-Sikh riots after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984 left nearly 3,000 people dead.

The court noted in its order that Special Commissioner Praveer Ranjan has assured he will sit with the police commissioner and view all video clips and take a conscious decision as desired on the issue of lodging of FIRs and convey it to the court on Thursday.

The court, however, made it clear it was not confining the proceedings to the video clips of the three BJP leaders and that it will look into other clips as well. It was hearing a plea seeking lodging of FIRs and arrests of those involved in the communal violence related to the CAA.

"We are not angry. We are anguished. A Constitutional Court''s anguish is very serious, and everyone should take it seriously," Justice Muralidhar said.

The court also issued notices to the parties concerned on the plea filed by the Centre seeking to be impleaded in the case. The matter will be heard further on Thursday.