The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure that no hate speech is delivered during a Dharam Sansad being organised by controversial priest Yati Narasinghanand in Ghaziabad from December 17-21.

Narasinghanand is facing multiple cases for his allegedly communal remarks. The court also refused to entertain contempt petitions against the authorities for allegedly failing to enforce the court’s earlier directive on the issue.

A bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, however, asked additional solicitor-general (ASG) K.M. Natraj, appearing for the UP government, to keep track of the developments and asserted that merely because the court is not passing any fresh directive, there can be a violation of the earlier orders.

“Mr Natraj, you must please keep a track of what is happening. Recordings of the event must be there. The mere fact that we are not entertaining the petition does not mean there is violation,” the Chief Justice told the ASG.

The bench, however, refused the plea of advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, to issue notice on the contempt petition. “We are not entertaining any contempt petition, you can approach the concerned authorities,” the bench
orally observed.

Bhushan argued that they had approached the authorities concerned since there was no response from the officials, the petitioners had to approach the top court. “Then approach the high court (Allahabad),” the bench said.

The CJI said: “There are issues coming from both sides, we have not entertained (similar contempt petitions) earlier. In the previous cases, we are able to control it by passing orders. If we entertain this, we will be flooded with similar petitions. All matters cannot come to the Supreme Court. If I entertain one, I have to
entertain all.”

Later the bench in an order said it was not inclined to entertain the petition but iterated the authorities concerned are bound to comply with earlier directives of the court to ensure that no hate speech is delivered.

March to court

Narasinghanand, who allegedly urged Hindus to take up arms against Muslims at a Dharam Sansad in Haridwar three years ago, has announced a march to the Supreme Court to protest “the hurdles put up against me” by Uttarakhand’s BJP government.