Describing as “unjustified” the “long” adjournment of a petition seeking registration of FIRs against some BJP leaders over alleged hate speeches in the days preceding the communal violence in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Wednesday sent the plea to the Delhi High Court with the direction that it be listed for March 6 along with other petitions on the matter.
The bench of Chief Justice of India S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, hearing a plea by ten riot-affected people, said: “We think that adjournment for such a long period is unjustified. We also do not want to assume jurisdiction when the HC is seized of the matter.
We also direct that other connected matters, along with all the applications for impleadment and intervention on the same subject which have admittedly been adjourned to a later date by the High Court of Delhi, may be advanced and taken up along with the instant writ petition on the aforesaid date i.e. 06.03.2020.”
The bench, meanwhile, declined to hear a petition by activist Harsh Mander, taking exception to his alleged remarks about the Supreme Court and Parliament. As soon as the hearing began, the bench asked whether Mander had made some speeches regarding the court and Parliament.
“Yes,” said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, adding that the matter was “very serious”. He told the court that Mander said “we have seen the track record of the Supreme Court. We have no faith in Supreme Court but we will still have to go. But ultimately, justice will be done on the streets”. Mehta was referring to Mander’s speech in Hindi, allegedly made at Jamia Millia Islamia University on December 16, 2019.