Haryana violence: Palwal police file hate speech case

The case was registered based on a complaint filed by the police after many speakers during the mahapanchayat organised in Pondri village threatened Muslims

The Palwal police have booked unidentified suspects for making provocative speeches in Palwal on August 13, officers familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, adding that they are searching social media accounts to identify the individuals.

Hundreds of Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) members gathered at a mahapanchayat in Palwal on Sunday and announced plans to march in a religious procession in a village in the Nuh district on August 28. According to the police, the panchayat was organised in Palwal after the authorities denied permission in Nuh. (Representational Image)

According to the police, the case was registered based on a complaint filed by the Mandkola police outpost in-charge, Sachin Singh, who said that during the mahapanchayat organised in Pondri village, many speakers went overboard, threatening the Muslim community.

According to the police, a case was registered at Hathin police station under sections 153A (act prejudicial to harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 505 (1) (a) (unlawfully assembled and created rioting to promote enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code.

Manoj Kumar, sub-inspector at the Hathin police station, said the case was registered on Tuesday, and suspects have yet to be identified.

“The police teams stationed in the mahapanchayat took cognizance of the video footage and social media accounts where hate speech was shared. We watched the videos, found some offensive, and then registered a case. The speakers who uttered these objectionable sentences in the mahapanchayat are being identified by looking at their videos. Once their names and addresses are known, appropriate action can be taken against them,” said a senior police officer, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, a Bajrang Dal member who was previously booked along with another member of a right-wing outfit, Babita Karhana, following the Tigra panchayat, challenged the Palwal administration on Sunday to file a second first information report against him and urged the panchayat members to organise another Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra on August 28. “We will go on our yatra regardless, and we don’t need permission. We will go to any length to protect our religion. Whatever happens,” he said.

A first information report was lodged against Bhardwaj and Karhana under sections 153A (act prejudicial to harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities), 153B (makes or publishes any assertion or appeal concerning the obligation of any class of persons that is likely to cause disharmony), 188 (deliberate disobedience of an order that is duly promulgated by a public servant empowered by law to do so) and 505 (public mischief with intent to incite) of the Indian Penal Code.

According to the police, the panchayat was organised in Palwal after the authorities denied permission in Nuh.