Doing a virtual U-turn, the Delhi Police have informed the Supreme Court about the registration of a first information report (FIR) against a Dharam Sansad programme for promoting enmity and deliberately insulting religious feelings.
Days after the earlier affidavit denied evidence of vitriol at the programme, the police, in their latest affidavit, said they would investigate the case in “accordance with the law”.
The earlier affidavit of the police, which maintained that the programme had not been about hate but “empowering one’s religion”, had drawn flak from the Supreme Court.
Under criticism, the police had promised the court to file a “better affidavit”.
In the second one, the police have explained that “all the links given in the complaint and other materials available in the public domain were analysed. One video containing audio and video recording of the programme was found uploaded on YouTube channel. After further minute verification of the materials, FIR No 0406 dated May 4, 2022 was registered at PS Okhla Industrial Area southeast Delhi under Sections 153A, 295A, 298 and 34 of the IPC”.
The second affidavit is in stark contrast to the earlier one which said the “words spoken at the event were about empowering one’s religion to prepare itself to face the evils which could endanger its existence, which is not even remotely connected to a call for genocide of any particular religion”.
The developments come in a petition filed by Qurban Ali, a journalist, and Anjana Prakash, a former High Court judge.
The petitioners had alleged that the events in Haridwar and Delhi in December 2021 witnessed hate speeches delivered with “the apparent objective of declaring war against a significant section of the Indian citizenry”.
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They have sought an independent, credible and impartial investigation into the alleged incidents of hate speeches against the Muslim community.
