A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to halt a planned ‘Dharam Sansad’ in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, citing potential hate speech targeting Muslims. Scheduled to begin on Tuesday at the Shiv-Shakti Temple in Dasna, this event is reportedly organized by controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand, known for prior inflammatory statements.
The plea, brought forward by civil society members including retired bureaucrats and activists, accuses the Uttar Pradesh administration and police of failing to enforce the Supreme Court’s guidelines on hate speech. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, emphasized the urgency of intervention, as the event allegedly calls for the genocide of Muslims. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna has agreed to consider an email submission for an expedited hearing.
This development follows controversies surrounding earlier ‘Dharam Sansads,’ such as the one in Haridwar in 2021, which sparked widespread criticism and legal action against organizers for inciting communal violence. Activists argue that the recurring nature of such events highlights inadequate measures to prevent hate speech despite Supreme Court directives.
The petitioners urge immediate action to safeguard communal harmony and prevent escalation of tensions. Whether the Supreme Court will intervene before the event unfolds remains to be seen.
