The Mira Bhayander Vasai Virar Police Commissionerate has reportedly rejected the application of permission for a rally by the ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha’ on February 25, Sunday where a prominent speaker was to have been BLP MLA, T Raja Singh.
While rejecting the application, the Police has mentioned multiple cases against T Raja Singh for creating a rift between two people by making provocative and controversial statements. Six cases in Maharashtra alone and 45 others in total in other states have been mentioned by the police in the rejection of permission letter.
The refusal letter states that in all his programmes, he makes provocative, offensive and hateful statements and if allowed to speak at Mira Road Bhayander, MLA Thakur Raja Singh (T Raja), this may lead to its reaction and create a renewed tension in the city, as well as create a rift between the two religions. There will be a threat to public life, property and large scale law and order problem cannot be ruled out. It is also reasoned by police that “Upcoming is 12th, 10th and other school and college exam period. If law and order problem arises due to the said rally and program, students may suffer academic loss.”
The Mira Road Bhayander police states that “We are not sure that we will control the whole program and the crowd participating in the program”, police said. Accordingly, Mira Road Police & Kashimira Police has issued notice under section 149 of CRPC to the applicant regarding the same.
Yesterday, February 20 itself, Citizens for Justice & Peace had in a detailed pre-emptive complaint to the Mira Road Bhayander police pointed out not just the antecedents of the organisation and speaker, but also a slew of judgements of the Supreme Court directing the Maharashtra police in particular to take stern and pre-emotive steps to prevent provocative hate speech and resultant stigmatisation of minorities and violence. CJP moved to file the complaint after Singh released a video on social media calling people in large numbers to join his ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh’ rally on February 25
The meeting was ostensibly to o commemorate the birthday of Shivaji Maharaj, which is celebrated on February 19. Notably, this updated information regarding the postponement of the rally came after Singh’s planned rally on February 19 had been cancelled due to police not giving the required permission. The rally was scheduled to take place from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Statue (Kashimira) to S.K Stone (Mira Road). The application for permission was for the rally and for the public meeting on February 25 at at Salasar Central Park Ground, Mira Road at which the controversial BJP MLA is supposed to be present as the chief speaker.
The Police letter refusing permission, accessed from a local journalist may be read here:
Citizens for Justice and Peace Complaint dated February 20, 2024
Highlighting the violent history associated with the ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh Morcha’ and the antecedents of BJP MLA Raja Singh, CJP emphasised upon the consequences that it could have upon Maharahtra’s social harmony by stating, “Under the name of esteemed Shivaji Maharaj, a leader revered by the Maharashtrians, for his pro-people, plural and inclusive governance, the values that he stood for has been distorted by the Hindutva groups in a way that serves their purpose of divisive politics. The far-right groups have selectively valorised (distorted) the idea of Shivaji Maharaj to a parochial and downright communal element in Maharashtra, especially over the past two and a half decades. Seeing that the rally on February 25 is being taken out by Singh in his name, it is near certain that hate-ridden and provocative speeches will be delivered and calls for violence will be made. It is also necessary to keep in mind the recent track record of the name attached with the rally and the “principles” that the speakers and the organisers stand for.”
It is essential to note that in the year 2024 itself, Singh had been booked by Maharashtra Police for allegedly making incendiary speeches at a ‘Hindu Jan Aakrosh’ rally, held in Solapur, Maharashtra on January 6. Referring to the same, the letter states that “There can be no doubt that if, with Lok Sabha elections around the corner the Mira-Road Bhayander police allows T Raja Singh to address the public, this will not just be a recipe for disaster but will polarise the atmosphere and create the social climate to ensure that the vulnerable sections are prone to aggression and violence.”
The complaint also provides the recent directives issued by the Supreme Court of India in regards to curbing hate speeches, which directs the police to video tape such events that has a probability of hate speeches being delivered and then file suo-moto FIRs against the speakers and organisers.
Concerned with the role that hate speeches play in stoking communal fires and instigating violence, CJP also mentioned that “Even as the law enforcement agencies had taken stringent action against those who had indulged in vandalism and violence at the time and attempted to bring the situation under control when groups belonging to different faiths had clashed, it was the dissemination of hate speech and incendiary rhetoric by the two elected representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party, namely Geeta Jain and Nitesh Rane, that had further exacerbated tensions and contributed to the breakdown of law and order. It was only following the hate speeches delivered by these influential political personalities, especially MLA Geeta Jain, that on January 24, mobs on bikes with saffron flags had gone on a spree and vandalised shops of Muslim establishments.”
Noting the same, the letter further states “In this background, permitting another representative from the same political party, especially with a history of delivering violent hate speeches, will definitely lead to another untoward situation developing in the area.”
With this substantive background and facts, CJP urged for the Maharashtra police to urge you to take action as per sections 149 (Police to prevent cognizable offences), 150 (Information of design to commit cognizable offences) and 151 (Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) of the CrPC and any other provisions of law, as deemed necessary by the police.
CJP’s detailed complaint may be read here:
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