Petition in SC to ascertain content of speeches delivered at Shaheen Bagh

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking direction for the authorities that activities and content of speeches of political leaders, key speakers of protest at Kalindi Kunj Shaheen Bagh stretch be carefully looked into to stop spreading hatred against the Centre and particularly which propagates the "division of India."

The application was filed by advocate Amit Sahni in his already pending petition against the closure of Kalindi Kunj Shaheen Bagh stretch, which has become the centre of anti-CAA protest in the national capital.

The fresh application has sought direction to the authorities and the Delhi Police to look into and examine on daily basis the content of speeches of political leaders or speakers so as "to ascertain whether it is provoking the public to create law and order problem or it pertains to their demands, etc., in order to circumvent all anti-national organisations to take benefit of the sensitive situation."

The application also mentioned about the inflammatory speeches of JNU student Sharjeel Imam, who was slapped with a sedition case after a video of his purported speech went viral on social media where he was heard speaking about cutting off Assam and the northeast from the rest of India.

Sahni said the video went viral and contents of it are "extremely dangerous for unity and integrity of India."

The application further added that protestors, who have closed the Shaheen Bagh-Kalindi Kunj Road Stretch have been using innocent children for protesting against CAA or NRC at Shaheen Bagh.

Sahni said that considering the seriousness of the issue and its impact on children, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had asked Delhi authorities to identify and arrange to counsel for children seen at protests in Shaheen Bagh.

In a letter to the District Magistrate of South East Delhi, the NCPCR said the children "may suffer from mental trauma" as a result of rumours and miscommunication.

Recently, Sahni had filed the petition seeking directions to the police to open Kalindi Kunj Shaheen Bagh stretch which has been closed since December 15 due to ongoing protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The petition in top court said the public at large are facing huge inconvenience and hardship as the said road is blocked since December 15, 2019, and the residents, shopkeepers, children and patients are facing extreme difficulties.

The protestors have been using loudspeakers, as per reports, thus 'unrestricted holding of public meetings', processions, demonstrations, etc., have caused obstruction to traffic and disturbance of public tranquillity, it had added.

"No one can be permitted to occupy the public road for any reason whatsoever under the pretext of peaceful protest and that too for an indefinite period to make others suffer for the same. The protests at the public road cannot be permitted to continue as the same would set a wrong precedent and the same has inspired Shaheen Bagh style protests in Prayagraj Gaya, Nagpur, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Kota," added the plea.

The plea had said the Kalindi Kunj stretch is quite crucial as it connects Delhi, Faridabad (Haryana) and Noida (Uttar Pradesh) and commuters who use these roads are forced to take alternative routes Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) Expressway and Ashram, which is causing hours of traffic jams and wastage of time and fuel.