Jantar Mantar hate speech: High Court grants bail to organizer of event

Ground Report | New Delhi: Jantar Mantar hate speech; The Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to Preet Singh, one of the organisers of an event held last month near Jantar Mantar. The program is accused of raising communal slogans and calling for violence against Muslims. Justice Mukta Gupta said, 'The petition is allowed and The petitioner is granted bail.

Singh was sent to judicial custody on August 10 after his arrest. He is accused of creating enmity between different groups and instigating youth against a particular religion at a rally at Jantar Mantar here on August 8.

In the petition, filed through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, Singh claimed that he was not involved in making any provocative speeches or raising slogans against any individual or community.

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He said that demanding the construction of a Hindu nation does not come under section 153A (hate speech) of the Indian Penal Code and he was not even present at the scene when the slogan was raised. Delhi Police opposed Singh's bail.

Earlier on August 27, Additional Sessions Judge Anil Antil had refused to grant bail to Singh, observing that the Constitution provides for the right to convene and express its views, but these rights are not absolute and with inherent appropriate restrictions. They should be used.

Jantar Mantar hate speech

On August 8, during the program organized by the organization 'Bharat Jodo Andolan' at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, there was a rally in favor of implementing the Uniform Civil Code.

It is alleged that during this provocative and anti-Muslim slogans were raised. A purported video of the event, which went viral on social media, apparently called for the killing of Muslims.

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Hindu Raksha Dal chief Bhupinder Tomar alias Pinky Chaudhary, accused of raising communal slogans at the rally, surrendered at Mandir Marg police station on August 31. BJP leader and Supreme Court lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay had claimed on August 9 that the sloganeering took place after his program was over.

He had told that he is not aware of who the person seen in the related video is and said that he is not the organizer of the event organized at Jantar Mantar. However, the media in-charge of 'Bharat Jodo Andolan', Shipra Srivastava had told that the demonstration took place under the leadership of Upadhyay. However, he denied any connection with those who raised anti-Muslim slogans. Upadhyay had also denied involvement in the incident of anti-Muslim sloganeering.

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