NEW DELHI – The Delhi High Court on Wednesday reprimanded the police in the national capital for not taking action against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders accused of giving provocative hate speeches.
After police claimed it has not watched videos of the provocative speeches given by leaders, four videos were played in court for the benefit of Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner of Police, several lawyers, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
“This is really concerning,” Justice S. Muralidhar said, according to LiveLaw, a legal news website. “There are so many TVs in your office, how can a police officer say that he hasn’t watched the videos? I’m really appalled by the state of affairs of Delhi Police.”
Justice Muralidhar then ordered Mr. Mishra’s speech to be played in court and said: “Let all of you watch it.”
Video 1: Kapil Mishra, BJP
One of the videos played in court was BJP leader Kapil Mishra’s recent provocative speech at Maujpur Chowk, which witnessed violence during clashes over the last three days.
Though he has remained defiant, many leaders have slammed the former MLA and BJP leader for his incendiary speech on Sunday.
On Sunday, Mishra had issued an ultimatum to the Delhi Police to clear the streets of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters. Mishra tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi) stating, “Giving a three-day ultimatum to Delhi Police to clear the roads in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh of protesters. Don’t try to reason with us after this, because we won’t pay heed.”
He also attached a video with his tweet and wrote, “We will maintain peace until Donald Trump is in India. After that, we refuse to listen to even the police if the roads are not cleared…. we will be forced to hit the streets.”
Video 2: Parvesh Verma, BJP
Another video played in court showed the provocative speech given by West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma called anti-CAA protesters in Shaheen Bagh “rapists and murderers”.
On January 28, the BJP MP, in an interview to ANI, said: “Lakhs of people gather there [Shaheen Bagh]. People of Delhi will have to think and take a decision. They will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, kill them. There is time today, Modi ji and Amit Shah won’t come to save you tomorrow.”
The BJP MP had also openly threatened Shaheen Bagh protesters as he addressed a rally in Delhi. He said before the assembly elections that if the BJP is voted to power in Delhi, it will only take an hour to clear off protests in Shaheen Bagh.
“This election [Delhi poll] is not a small election but that for stability and unity of the country. If a government of the Bharatiya Janata Party is formed on February 11, then after an hour no one will be seen in Shaheen Bagh,” said West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma.
The BJP MP also said that within one month of being voted to power, he will ensure that all mosques built on government land are demolished in his constituency.
“If my government is formed in Delhi, then give me only one month’s time after February 11. Will not leave any mosques built in my Lok Sabha constituency on government land will remove them all,” Parvesh Varma said.
Video 3: Anurag Thakur, BJP minister
Another video that was played in court was related to the controversial ‘goli maro’ slogan raised during a rally led by Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur in support of the BJP candidate from Rithala.
He chanted the incendiary slogan “traitors should be shot” after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters. At the rally, Thakur chanted “desh ke gaddaron ko” to which the crowd responded, “goli maro sa*** ko” (shoot down the traitors).
Addressing the meeting in support of BJP candidate from Rithala, Manish Chaudhary, Thakur raised the pitch of nationalism as he linked opposition parties with anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh and with alleged anti-India slogans, and then asked the crowd to raise the controversial slogan.
Video 4: Abhay Verma, BJP MLA
The last video that was played out in court was from Tuesday and involved BJP’s newly-elected MLA Abhay Verma. In a fresh video that surfaced online yesterday shows the BJP MLA leading a group of men who could be heard chanting provocative slogans. They said, “Police ke hathyaaron ko, goli maaro s***** ko.” (Shoot those who killed policemen.)
However, Verma clarified to The Indian Express that he had told them not to raise slogans and that he had gone to get some shops reopened in the area.
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