Delhi riots: HC dismisses petitions against politicians for hate speeches
What's the story
The Delhi High Court has dismissed a series of petitions seeking action against politicians for their alleged hate speeches that petitioners said triggered the 2020 North-East Delhi riots. The petitions had sought the registration of FIRs against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders such as Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma. Another petition sought prosecution of opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Manish Sisodia, and Asaduddin Owaisi.
SIT probe
HC also dismissed pleas on Jamia police action
The court also dismissed petitions seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into alleged police brutality at Jamia Millia Islamia in 2019.
These petitions had demanded an investigation into the police's actions during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
A division bench of Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Manoj Jain pronounced the verdict, saying, "For the reasons mentioned in the judgments, both the petitions (batch) are dismissed."
SIT
Plea alleged 'international conspiracy'
The petitions seeking a court-monitored probe by an SIT into the role of the Delhi Police in the riots were filed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat and another by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.
Another plea filed by activist Ajay Gautam sought a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the riots, alleging that there was an "international conspiracy" and that the activists received "foreign funding."