Allahabad HC seeks UP government's reply on Abbas Ansari's plea in hate speech case

Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has granted two weeks to the Uttar Pradesh government to file its reply on a plea filed by Abbas Ansari in a 2022 hate speech case in Mau district.

In the order passed on Monday, Justice Sanjay Kumar Singh also directed Gangaram inspector, who is the opposite party number 2, to file his reply in the case.

The judge was hearing a petition filed by Abbas Ansari challenging the forensic report on the audio of alleged hate speech.

The court observed, "Learned additional government advocate prays for and is granted two weeks' time to file counter affidavit. Let a notice be issued to the opposite party no. 2 returnable at an early date. Put up this case as fresh on June 11, 2025. In the meantime, opposite party no. 2 may also file a counter affidavit, if he so desires."

Ansari is charged with sharing the dais at a rally in Mau district in 2022, where his brother allegedly threatened government officials with payback, after election results.

In March 2022, Mau Police booked the Ansari brothers under Section 171F (offence of undue influence at an election) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code after a video of the speech went viral on social media during the election campaign.