'Dharam Sansad': Supreme Court refuses to hear contempt plea, asks UP authorities to keep watch

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a plea by senior bureaucrats and activists against the Ghaziabad District administration and the Uttar Pradesh Police for allowing a Dharam Sansad between December 17 and 21 at Ghaziabad by Yati Narasinghanand Foundation.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, however, directed the Uttar Pradesh government represented by Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, to keep record of the speeches and proceedings conducted over there.

The bench, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar, clarified at the outset to advocate Prashant Bhushan for the petitioners that the court would not entertain it.

"There are issues coming from both the sides, we are not entertaining. We have not entertained earlier and we were able to control it by passing orders," the bench said.

Bhushan said this is a serious matter.

"All the matters can't come to this court, if we entertain this, we have to entertain all, we will be flooded with all such petitions," the bench said.

Bhushan raised the bail conditions for Yati Narasinghanand.

"How can you approach the Supreme Court? You can move the High Court for cancellation of bail," the bench said.

The bench finally left it open for the petitioners to avail appropriate remedy under the law.

"We reiterate our earlier orders for all officers to maintain law and order and ensure compliance," the bench said.

The court, however, clarified just because it did not entertain the plea, it wasn't avoiding the issue.

The contempt petition was filed by petitioners Aruna Roy, retired IAS, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Deb Mukarji and Navrekha Sharma, retired IFS, Syeda Hameed, former member planning Commission and NCW Chief and Vijayan MJ, social researcher and policy analyst.

The petitioners claimed willful and deliberate contempt of the orders of the Supreme Court wherein the court has directed all competent and appropriate authorities to take suo motu action against individuals or groups who indulged in communal activities and hate speeches.

"This is in view of the Dharam Sansad which is being organized between December 17-21 at Ghaziabad by Yati Narasinghanand Foundation. The website and the advertisements for this Sansad include several communal statements against the followers of Islam, inciting violence against Muslims," the plea claimed.

On April 28, 2023, the top court, on a writ petition by Shaheen Abdullah, has directed all States/UTs to register suo motu FIRs in offences such as Section 153A, 153B, 295A and 506 of IPC etc in cases of hate speech, without any complaint being filed.