Court seeks report on 'hate speeches' by Mohan Bhagwat, Praveen Togadia and Azam Khan

Delhi Police was today asked by a court here to file a report on September 24 on a plea seeking lodging of an FIR against RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, VHP leader Praveen Togadia and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan for allegedly making "hate speeches". Metropolitan Magistrate Puneet Pahwa directed the station house officer (SHO) of Tilak Marg police station here to file an Action Taken Report (ATR) in this regard.

"Let ATR be called from SHO concerned for September 24," the court said. The order came on a petition filed by Kamran Siddique who alleged that, "Bhagwat, Togadia and Khan willingly and deliberately with intention to disturb peace in India tried to distort the communal harmony while promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion and region".

The complainant sought registration of FIR against them, saying police has not taken any action against them till date. In his plea, filed through advocate Kamran Malik, Siddique alleged that Bhagwat while speaking at a public function in Mumbai on August 17, had termed India as "Hindu Rashtra" and Togadia, who was also there, had "insisted to get Ram Mandir at the disputed site (Ayodhya)".

Reacting to their statements, Khan had allegedly asked Bhagwat regarding the "Map of Hindu Rashtra", the complainant said. "It is, therefore, prayed that this court may be pleased to call the report of SHO and IO of police and direct them to take legal action against the aforesaid accused persons in the interest of justice," said the complainant.