Supreme Court Dismisses Plea in 2007 Hate Speech Case Involving Yogi Adityanath

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said it is not necessary to go into the issue of denial of sanction.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

(file photo)

The Supreme Court on Friday, 26 August, dismissed a plea challenging the denial of sanction to prosecute Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a matter pertaining to alleged hate speech in 2007.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said that it was not necessary to go into the issue of denial of sanction.

Parvez Parwaz, the petitioner, had claimed that Yogi Adityanath had made anti-Muslim remarks while addressing the ‘Hindu Yuva Vahini’ activists in a meeting in 2007.

An FIR had been lodged in Gorakhpur against Adityanath and several others on alleged charges of promoting enmity between two groups. Several incidents of violence were allegedly reported in Gorakhpur on the day of the speech.

However, the UP government on 3 May 2017 refused the sanction to prosecute Adityanath. The petitioner then moved the Allahabad High Court challenging this. The Allahabad High Court had dismissed his plea, after which he filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court.

What Did the Supreme Court Say?

The Supreme Court bench that pronounced the judgment comprised Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, Justice Hima Kohli, and Justice CT Ravikumar.

The judgment read, "In the above circumstances, we do not think it is necessary to go into the legal questions relating to grant of sanction. Consequently, the appeal is dismissed. The question of law is left open.”

(With inputs from PTI and Live Law.)