BJP leaders in 'hate speech' row: Congress urges Supreme Court to issue directives

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The Congress on Tuesday demanded immediate action over the alleged hate speeches by BJP MP Parvesh Verma and BJP MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar, and urged the Supreme Court to issue directives after taking cognisance of the matter.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent on the issue and said she hoped that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will gather the courage to speak for the people of the city.

Several purported videos of inflammatory speeches made at the 'Virat Hindu Sabha' have come up online.

An FIR has been filed against the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the other organisers of the Sunday event in Delhi, where certain speakers, including the two BJP lawmakers, allegedly delivered hate speeches. The case was filed for allegedly holding the event without permission.

Shrinate said, "Parvesh Verma has been caught on camera asking for a boycott of a certain community. He also incited hatred, so did Gurjar one of the BJP MLAs from UP, Ghaziabad."

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"Nothing has been done, what is the police waiting for, why is PM not speaking. Why have the courts not taken cognisance, what is Mr Arvind Kejriwal doing, and if this is not hypocrisy then we wonder what is," the Congress spokesperson said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.

Over 72 hours later, a citizens committee report is out on the Delhi riots of 2020 and it "nails the role played by the media, and agencies, the way police looked the other way and how perpetrators of violence have gone scot-free", Shrinate claimed.

"We hope courts will take cognisance, police will act, the PM will speak and hopefully Arvind Kejriwal will gather the courage to speak for the people of Delhi that he represents," Shrinate said.

Since hate speech is in focus, the Supreme Court must take suo-motu cognizance of the matter and issue directives, she said.

Till when will the country continue to burn in this hate being spread, she asked.

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