[Delhi riots hate speech] Conspiracy to get FIR registered against opposition leaders: Rahul, Sonia Gandhi to Delhi High Court

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have told the Delhi High Court that there is a larger conspiracy behind the petition before the Court seeking a First Information Report (FIR) to be registered against them in connection with their their speeches on Citizenship Amendment Act..The Gandhis have said that the petition has made opposition leaders and other non-conformist sections a party to it while speeches made by the members of ruling party have been left out which gives away the larger conspiracy behind the exercise. These speeches by the ruling party members fall squarely within the ambit of the provisions under which the present petition seeks action and this reveals the coloured nature of the exercise, the Congress leaders said..The reply has come in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking registration of FIR against Gandhis as well as a host of other leaders and activists including Asaduddin Owaisi, Manish Sisodia, Swara Bhaskar and Harsh Mander.The High Court is seized of a batch of matters related to the hate speeches delivered during the protests in the national capital against Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens which allegedly resulted in riots in North-East Delhi..While the petition by one Shaikh Mujtaba Farooq seeks registration of FIR against union minister Anurag Thakur and BJP leaders Kapil Mishra and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, the plea by an NGO Lawyers’ Voice seeks action mostly against the opposition leaders.The Court is also dealing with a matter that seeks an independent inquiry into the riots by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and another plea that seeks NIA inquiry on the allegations that the protests were funded from outside the country..The response by Congress leaders has stated that they are leaders of opposition and have a fundamental duty to the citizens of the country to call out and criticise the laws introduced by the government which are detrimental to the rights of citizens.“To prevent a citizen from forming, holding, expressing a bona fide opinion in public interest on a bill passed by the Parliament is not a reasonable restriction and violates basic principles on which our democracy is founded. To prevent citizens from expressing a bona fide opinion against any bill or law passed by the government and putting it in public domain to inform, generate a debate, build public opinion for reforms/change is violative of our right to free speech,” the response stated..It was also argued that petitioner has not put their speeches in entirety and no offence against them is made out under Sections 153A and 153B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).The reply also raised objections to the maintainability of the PIL as the petitioner has no locus standi, lacks bona fides and is seeking a relief which is not maintainable in law..[Delhi Riots hate speech] Delhi High Court allows impleadment of BJP, Congress, AAP leaders, former Bombay HC judge