On July 23, 2024, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) filed complaints before the Rajasthan Police against the multiple hate speeches delivered by the serial hate offender Swami Sachidanand in Jodhpur and a member of Durga Vahini (VHP’s women wing) for promoting hatred and enmity against religious minorities, especially Muslims.
CJP in its complaints urges Rajasthan Police to register FIR against the Swami and Durga Vahini. Swami through his speech delivered in Jodhpur on June 8, 2024, propagated the fake conspiracy theory of Ghazwa-e-Hind about Muslim Citizens. During his speech he publicly urges people to carry arms/weapons. While referring Muslim citizens as responsible for population rise, he gave false information and gave fake figures by accusing Muslim citizens for the population growth. He gave derogatory statements against the Madrassas and Mosques and narrated them as a store of arms/weapons. Swami in his entire speech constantly accused and blamed Muslim citizens as responsible for illegal population growth and narrated them as land encroached while referring to fake and self-generated figures in public and on the other hand speech delivered by a member of Durga Vahini in Ajmer on June 7, also propagated in its speech the fake conspiracy theory of love jihad with deliberate intention to disturb the long-standing harmony of this country. The members of Durga Vahini openly delivered communal statements and attempted to create communal tensions between different communities.
Complaint against Swami Sachidanand (Serial Hate Offender) on July 16, 2024:
On July 16, 2024, CJP in its complaint filed before the Superintendence of Police and District Magistrate Jodhpur mentioned that Swami being the habitual offender attempts to provoke other citizens against the Muslims Citizens on grounds of Religion and fake propagated theory. Swami’s speech is clearly against the peace and tranquillity by spreading hatred and promoting enmity on grounds of religion and promoting use of arms/weapons. This is not the first time that Swami Sachidanand has delivered such a communal and inflammatory speech. We at CJP, have regularly tracked the speeches that had been made by him during 2023-24.
It is pertinent to highlight here that in the month of December in 2019, in a video on the social media in which Swami Sachidanand said Islam and Christianity as the top enemies of Hinduism and urged for social and economic boycott of Muslims. During his address at an event held in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, the Far-right saint advocated for a social and economic boycott of Muslims. “There are four enemies of yours. First Islam, second – Christianity.
Similarly, In May 2024, he again delivered communal hate speech in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Swami in his speech attempts to create hatred and enmity between citizens and propagated fake Nai (Barbour) Jihad, love jihad and urged peoples to boycott Muslim shopkeepers and Muslim tenants. Again, on May 11, 2024, Swami Sachidanand delivered hate speech against Muslims on grounds of fake propagated theory of love jihad and land jihad. In his speech he also accused Muslim women.
It is important to note that on July 12, 2024, CJP has also filed a complaint to the Superintendence of Police and District Magistrate, Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh) against the communal speech delivered by Preacher Swami Sachidanand targeting Muslims and Christians for their religion. The said speech had been delivered by Swami Sachidanand on June 3, 2024 in Bainsroli, Mainpuri (U.P.). Through his speech he propagated false conspiracy theory about against the Muslims and Christians. The contents of the speech given by Swami attracts prosecution under Sections 196 (Promoting enmity on grounds of religion), 197 (1), 299 (Malicious act to insult a religion), 352 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 353 (Statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The Complaint can be read here:
CJP Complaint against Durga Vahini (VHP’s Women Wing):
CJP complaint against the Durga Vahini filed on July 23, 2024 for the spreading communal hatred against the Muslim Citizens and peddling anti-Muslim love jihad theory by the members of Durga Vahini (VHP’s Women Wing) on June 7, 2024 in Ajmer, Rajasthan. As per the details available, the member of the Durga Vahini delivered communal hate speech and promoted enmity on ground of religious identity in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Through her speech, Durga Vahini member in the video is seen as attempting to propagate a fake conspiracy theory of love jihad and with deliberate intention to disturb the long-standing harmony of this country. The members of Durga Vahini openly spreading hatred and attempted to create communal tensions.
CJP dispatched complaints to the Superintendent of Police (SPs) and District Magistrate (DMs), Ajmer and Jodhpur urging prompt action that the inflammatory and divisive speech delivered by Swami Sachidanand amounts to insightful and provocative. CJP has urged mandatory registration of FIR in incidents of Hate Speeches in compliance with the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Order dated April 28, 2023, in which the division bench of Justice KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna in Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. Union of India [W.P. (C) No. 943 of 2021], directed all States/UTs to register Suo moto FIR against Hate Speech irrespective of religion. The court added that when any speech or any action takes place which attracts offences such as Section 153A, 153B and 295A and 505 of the IPC etc., suo moto action will be taken to register cases even if no complaint is forthcoming and proceed against the offenders in accordance with law.
Most crucially, we have also invoked the binding judicial orders of the Supreme Court in the Shaheen Abdullah vs Union of Indian (Writ Petition (Civil) 940/2022) which mandate the police to suo moto register cases in incidents of hate speeches, as per law. With this substantive background and facts, CJP urged Maharashtra police to take action as per sections 196, 197 (1), 352 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and any other provisions of law, as deemed necessary by the police.
The Complaint can be read here:
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