Anti-CAA protests: SC asks activist Harsh Mander to respond to allegations of hate speeches

The Supreme Court asked activist Harsh Mander on Friday to file his response to the allegation of the Delhi Police that he had also delivered hate speeches during anti-CAA protests in Delhi.

A bench, comprising Chief Justice Bobde and Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant, however, made it clear that it had not issued a contempt notice to Mander and said it would hear the plea on April 15.

The Delhi Police, in its plea filed on Wednesday, sought initiation of contempt proceedings against Mander for his alleged derogatory remarks, making insinuations against the apex court and its judges.

Appearing for Mander, senior advocate Dushyant Dave said he had perused the statement attributed to the activist and found nothing contemptuous and objectionable in those.

Appearing for the Delhi Police, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the submission and said he had come across one more statement that was objectionable and brought disrepute to the judiciary.

The top court had, on March 4, remanded to the Delhi High Court a plea filed by 10 riot victims, seeking registration of FIRs against ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra, Parvesh Verma and Abhay Verma for allegedly making hate speeches ahead of last month's communal violence in northeast Delhi, in which more than 40 people lost their lives.

The apex court, however, has kept to itself a plea filed by Mander, in which the activist has challenged the long adjournment on his plea by the Delhi High Court.

He has also sought registration of FIRs against certain BJP leaders for allegedly delivering hate speeches.