NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has submitted before the High Court that the speeches of political leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, Pravesh Verma, and others are being examined and necessary action will be taken if it is found that their speech had any nexus with the northeast Delhi riots.
The Delhi Police, in its affidavit filed on a batch on pleas pertaining to northeast Delhi riots, said that the police authorities acted promptly, vigilantly, and effectively without any fear or favour as a result of which violence could be contained in few days and to a limited area.
"Speeches of political leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, Pravesh Verma, Waris Pathan, and others are being examined by the Delhi Police and necessary action in this regard will be taken in due course of time if it is found on the evidence that their speech had any nexus with the riots," the affidavit said.
A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Prateek Jalan on Monday adjourned till July 21 hearing on the batch of pleas as some petitioners had not received a copy of the affidavit filed by the Delhi Police in the matter and others sought time to file rejoinders in the matter.
In the affidavit, the Delhi Police said that the petitions raising questions on the investigation is nothing but a blatant and brazen misuse of the public interest litigation (PIL).
"It is also submitted that the petitioners in the present petition have not come before this court with clean hands. They have selectively chosen certain speeches and incidents to further their hidden agenda," Delhi Police said in its affidavit.
"It is stated that the selective outrage by the petitioners towards specific incidents while ignoring other abhorrent incidents of violence, itself manifest that the present petitions are not bonafide but motivated and need to be dismissed," it added.
The High Court had earlier expressed concern over the delay in action by the law enforcement agencies in containing violence and directed the Delhi Police to examine the videos related to hate speeches by political leaders, which allegedly led to violence in northeast Delhi.
Around 53 people lost their lives in the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi after clashes erupted between two opposing factions over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).