SC to hear fresh plea against event Resolution for "Hindu Rashtra" on May 9

The Supreme Court Thursday said it would hear on May 9 a fresh plea against an event scheduled to be held at Talkatora Stadium here where a resolution for "Hindu Rashtra" is proposed to be made.

A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Abhay S Oka, and C T Ravikumar posted the matter for hearing after the counsel for the applicant mentioned that an event is slated for Thursday evening and sought prohibition orders.

The apex court asked the petitioner to apprise the authorities of its orders on the issue.

The fresh plea said the key speaker of the event scheduled to be held at Talkatora Stadium is one Nischalananda Saraswati who has in the past frequently given hate speeches.

Despite repeated representations, such events are openly held and satisfactory preventive or consequential action is seldom taken, the plea said adding that the growing rate of hate speeches is sufficient to create a chilling effect on religious minorities of the country.

"It has now come to the knowledge of the Petitioners that an event is being organised at Talkatora Stadium, Delhi on May 5, 2022, at 5:00 pm wherein one Shankaracharya of Puri and 'Mahant' of the Sri Govardhan Math, Nischalananda Saraswati, will, according to this web poster released by the Sudarshan News channel, publicly proclaim and affirm a resolution for India to be turned into a Hindu Rashtra.

"A video of Suresh Chavankhe (of Sudarshan News channel) asking Hindus to attend the said event is also available on social media," the plea said.

The apex court had earlier expressed concern that incidents of hate speeches keep occurring in the country despite apex court guidelines on preventive measures to be taken by government authorities.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by journalist Qurban Ali and former Patna High Court judge and senior advocate Anjana Prakash, who has also sought a direction for an "independent, credible and impartial investigation" by an SIT into incidents of hate speeches against the Muslim community.