Surprised at conduct of police, situation unpleasant: HC on Delhi violence

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that it was surprised at the conduct of the police during the violence that ensued in North-East Delhi during protests over Citizen Amendment Act (CAA).

A division bench of Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Talwant Singh also asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central government, to advise Delhi Police Commissioner to register an FIR against the BJP leaders who made hate speeches.

The High Court adjourned the matter and will continue hearing it after 2:30 pm.

Justice Muralidhar said that we are surprised at the conduct of the police.

"The situation out there is so unpleasant. We have all watched videos of some leaders are making hate speeches openly. It's on every news channel. There are videos that hundreds of people have watched. Do you still think it's not an urgent matter," the High Court said.

We are sure the police commissioner has a television in his office. Please ask him to watch this clip, Delhi High court tells Solicitor general Tushar Mehta.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Delhi Police said that they have not watched the videos, following which a video of Kapil Mishra was played in the courtroom.

Advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for Delhi Police, said that only Delhi Police and Delhi Government are parties in the case and no one else should have a say, to which SG Mehta objected and said that the Centre has an equal stakeholder.

The Solicitor General also made an oral application seeking to make the Union of India through Minister of Home Affairs a party to the petition.

The Delhi High Court was hearing a petition seeking an independent judicial enquiry into the violence in northeast Delhi and lodging of FIR against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Varma for alleged hate speech.

The petition claimed that provocative hate speeches were given by three prominent politicians linked to the assailants, the assailants carried out multiple brutal assaults on the unarmed persons who were protesting against the CAA.

As many as 20 people have died while hundreds of others have been injured in the violence that ensued in northeast Delhi between two factions over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Monday and Tuesday.