The 'Hindu Mahapanchayat' event held in Delhi's DDA Burari Ground on Sunday, 3 April, has already seen 4 FIRs filed in relation to it.
Two of the FIRs pertain to journalists stating that they were physically assaulted and manhandled by mobs of Mahapanchayat attendees.
The third is related to the anti-Muslim hate speeches made by speakers at the event including Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand and Sudarshan News editor Suresh Chavhanke.
And the fourth is an FIR which reportedly names two Twitter accounts, one belonging to journalist Meer Faisal and the other to the news website Article 14, and books them under IPC Section 505(2) ("statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes").
But there are several questions that arise over the holding of the 'Hindu Mahapanchayat' itself. Along with the Delhi Police's denial of permission openly being flouted by the organisers, we also look at how not one, but two bail orders were seemingly violated during the event, actions which could therefore even be viewed as contempt of court.
Narsinghanand Violates Bail Order in Haridwar Dharam Sansad Hate Speech Case
On 7 February 2022, an Uttarakhand court had granted bail to Hindutva leader and Dasna temple priest Yati Narsinghanand in the Haridwar Dharam Sansad hate speech case.
At the Haridwar Dharam Sansad, among other controversial comments, Narsinghanand had called for a “war against Muslims” and urged “Hindus to take up weapons” to ensure a “Muslim didn’t become the Prime Minister in 2029.”
One of the bail conditions imposed by the court required Narsinghanand to give an undertaking to the magistrate that he will not make any speech henceforth which contributes to hate in society or obstructs communal harmony, and that he will not attend any event which increases enmity between communities, or at which there are concerns that offences similar to those he was booked under could take place again.
By attending the Hindu Mahapanchayat in Delhi's Burari on 3 April and using his speech at the event to make communally charged remarks such as exhorting Hindu men to take up arms, Narsinghanand therefore explicitly violated the conditions on which he had been granted bail in the Haridwar Dharam Sansad hate speech case.
At the Hindu Mahapanchayat, Narsinghanand said that “40% Hindus will be killed” if India were to get a Muslim PM. “This is the future of Hindus. If you want to change this, be a man. A man is someone who has weapons and is armed,” he said.
DCP Rangnani of the Delhi Police said in a statement following the Hindu Mahapanchayat, "Some of the speakers, including Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, Priest of Dasna Devi Temple and Suresh Chavhanke, Chief Editor of Sudarshan News, uttered words promoting disharmony, feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between two communities."
The Delhi Police has filed an FIR on the matter as well.
Did Pinky Chaudhary Violate Bail Order on Jantar Mantar Hate Speech Case?
On 30 September 2021, when a Delhi court granted bail to Hindu Raksha Dal chief Bhupinder Tomar alias Pinky Chaudhary in connection to the Jantar Mantar anti-Muslim hate speech case from August 2021, one of the bail conditions read, "The accused shall not commit an offence similar to the offence of which he is accused or suspected of the commission of which he is suspect."
At the Jantar Mantar event, there had been anti-Muslim slogans like "Mulle kaate jayenge, Ram Ram chilaayenge... (Cut down Muslims, and scream the name of Ram)" which were raised.
Yet, Pinky Chaudhary was a key part of the Hindu Mahapanchayat event on 3 April in Burari. Chaudhary was on the stage during the event and was even involved in making announcements from the dais.
Through the duration of Chaudhary's involvement in the programme, there were repeated instances of anti-Muslim hate speech made by speakers at the Mahapanchayat.
So, did Chaudhary violate the bail condition stipulated by the Delhi court in relation to the Jantar Mantar hate speech case, especially given that he was making announcements from the very same stage through the event and was therefore a key and active participant of the Hindu Mahapanchayat, where anti-Muslim hate speeches were made?
Delhi Police Had Said Permission Denied, Organisers Went Ahead With The Event
Late on Saturday, 2 April, DCP North West Delhi Usha Rangnani told The Quint that permission for the Hindu Mahapanchayat has been denied.
According to Rangnani, the landowning authority of the Burari Ground - the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) - had not given a go-ahead for the Hindu Mahapanchayat event due to existing work going on in the area.
Even before the Delhi Police said that permission for the event had been rejected, one of the organisers had told The Quint on Thursday that the event would take place regardless of police permission.
Arvind Tyagi, a key functionary of the Save India Foundation and one of the 'Hindu Mahapanchayat' organisers, had remarked, "How will the programme be cancelled? People have made arrangements to come for the event. Most of our payments related to setting up and organising the event have been made. So, even if the police deny permission for the event, the event will still take place."
And indeed, when this reporter reached the venue on Sunday, 3 April, at around 9:30 am, there was a large stage and a full-scale shamiana that had been put up by the event organisers, and there were already multiple police vehicles and police personnel present at the venue.
The Delhi Police explicitly denying them permission for the Hindu Mahapanchayat event had no effect on its organisers, the Save India Foundation (SIF) and its president Preet Singh, who is also out on bail in relation to the Jantar Mantar hate speech case from 2021.
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