Lawyers Write to CJI Urging Him to Take Suo Moto Action on Genocide Calls

New Delhi, 28 Dec 2021 [Fik/News Sources]: Amidst growing demand for arrest of the Hindutva hate preachers who gave a clarion call to Hindus to resort to mass violence against Muslims, a group of lawyers wrote a joint letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) urging him take suo moto cognizance of the genocidal hate speeches. The call for ethnic cleansing was given at two separate religious events, one in Delhi, and the other in Haridwar at a saffron gathering, ironically styled as dharma sansad (religious assembly), that took place last week.

The letter, signed by 76 Supreme Court lawyers, requested the CJI C V Ramanna to issue directions to the authorities to initiate action against the culprits under 120B, 121A, 124A, 153A, 153B, 295A and 298 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

The event in Delhi was organised by Hindu Yuva Vahini, the extremists organisation founded and led by the incumbent Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, on December 19 in Banarsidas Chandiwala Auditorium near Govindpuri metro station. Participants at the event took an oath on camera to strive to turn India into a Hindu nation even if it means bloodshed at a mass scale.

The oath that saw Nazi style salute was administered by far-right journalist Suresh Chavhanke, the Editor-in-Chief of rightwing news channel Sudarshan TV. Rajeshwar Singh, Minister of State in Yogi government, was chief guest on this occasion.

Similarly, a three-day religious event in the holy city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand saw prominent Hindutva figures, including serial offender Yati Narsighanad Saraswati, giving genocidal speeches targeting Muslims.

Speaker after speaker brazenly called for killing of Muslims and other minorities and attacking their places of worship. Saraswati advised Hindus to pick up “better weapons” instead of the conventional swords to fight minorities.

“If you want to finish them off, then kill them… We need 100 soldiers who can kill 20 lakh of them to win this (battle for Hindu Rashtra),” said Annapurna Maa, Mahamandleshwar of Niranjini Akhada and general secretary of Hindu Mahasabha.

So revolting are the speeches that they sparked massive outrage within and outside the country as soon as they surfaced on social media with people demanding immediate action against the culprits. The public pressure yielded some success as Uttarakhand Police filed an FIR against former Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi who was present at the event.

Rizvi recently renounced Islam for Hindusim and took the name of Jitendra Narayan Tyagi. On Saturday, two more names were added to the FIR but rights activists say the BJP Government in the state is dealing with the culprits with velvet glows.

As for the hate-filled event at Delhi, the police have not taken any action as yet even though a week has passed since.

Now, the lawyers’ missive to the apex court called for action in the case with a caveat, the speeches made at the events pose a threat to the unity and integrity of the country as also endanger lives of 200 million strong Muslim community.

The letter also pointed out that this was not the first time such speeches were made, but “no effective steps have been taken under the provisions of 153, 153A, 153B, 295A, 504, 506, 120B, 34 of IPC in those episodes” even as petitions are  pending in the Supreme Court.

The lawyers are optimistic that CJI Ramana, who is known for his commitment to independence of Judiciary, would take prompt action in his capacity as the head of the judicial wing of the state.