Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP)

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Press Releases __________________________________________________

February 25, 2003

SC Notice Against Narendra Modi and Ashok Singhal on Hate Speech

On Monday, February 24, the Supreme court issued notices to the Government of Gujarat, Union government, Government of Maharashtra, chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, and working president of the VHP, Ashok Singhal on why no criminal investigation had been initiated on the speeches of Modi and Singhal made in August and September 2002 respectively. The orders were issued on a writ petition filed by concerned citizens and supported by Citizen for Justice and Peace, Mumbai.

The petitioners had supporting documents including complaints filed before the Azad Maidan police station, Mumbai, the police stations at Becharji, Mehsana and Amritsar. Despite the complaints being filed as far back as November 8, 2002, no preliminary investigations had been started by the police into the hate speeches. The petition had to referred to Modi’s speech made at Becharji, Mehsana, in which he had said: “Why should we run relief camps, these are baby producing factories”. Singhal had made a statement in Amritsar stating that, “the Gujarat experiment was successful… entire villages were purged of Islam”.

The petitioners were Kuldip Nayar (Rajya Sabha MP), BG Verghese (senior journalist), Valjibhai Patel (lawyer), two Dalit activists and Alyque Padamsee and Teesta Setalvad (representatives of the Mumbai-based Citizens for Justice and Peace).

Teesta Setalvad
Citizens for Justice and Peace

SC Notice Against Narendra Modi and Ashok Singhal on Hate Speech

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