Court seeks report from Delhi Police in plea for FIR against Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma for hate speech

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Rouse Avenue Court today sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the Delhi Police in relation to a complaint against Union Minister Anurag Thakur and BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma for their inflammatory speeches against Citizenship (Amedment) Act, 2019 protestors.

The report was sought by Judge Vishal Pahuja in an application moved by CPI(M) leaders Brinda Karat and KM Tiwari, seeking a direction to the Parliament Street Police Station to register an FIR against Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma for the commission of offences under Sections 153A/153B/295A/298/504/506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

The applicants state that Thakur, during a rally in Rithala in Delhi, raised chants of “Desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalon ko” (Shoot the traitors) with reference to those taking part in peaceful protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. It is added that Thakur could be seen inciting his supporters as well as the general public to attack those who are protesting against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The application further states that Verma, on the other hand, gave an interview to ANI on Janaury 28, wherein he can be seen making false, provocative and communal statements against the Shaheen Bagh protestors.

His statement was as follows:

“ye log gharon me ghusenge, aapki behen betiyon ko uthaenge aur unko rape karenge, unko marenge. Isliye aaj samay hai. Kal Modi Ji nahi aaenge bachane..kal Amit Shah nahi aaenge bachane.. [These people will enter your house and rape and kill your your sisters and daughters. Tomorrow (Prime Minister) Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah will not come to save you]”.

Verma is also reported to have made a statement that if BJP was elected in Delhi, Shaheen Bagh would be "cleared" within an hour.

In the application filed through Advocate Tara Narula, the applicants have contended that Thakur and Verma are political persons who have a large following, some of whom have acted on their instigation to perpetuate acts of violence.

It is the applicants' case that these statements incited communal enimity and led to multiple incidents of violence against protestors at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Milia Islamia University.

Karat and others had filed a complaint in connection with the aforementioned statements with the Commissioner of Police on January 29, 2020. However, no action has been taken til now.

In view of the above, the Court has called for the Action Taken Report from the DCP District New Delhi of the Delhi Police.

The applicants were represented by Advocates Tara Narula, Adit Pujari, Nupur Aggarwal, Chaitanya Sundriyal and Aparajita Sinha.

The matter will be heard next on February 11.