00:00Hate video posted by the BJP's Assam unit has now reached the doors of the Supreme Court.
00:07We are talking about the video which showed Hemant Abhiswa Sarma, the Assam chief minister,
00:13with an air gun targeting those in skull caps, Muslims in that video.
00:20The video has since been deleted, but it's been seen with a million views.
00:25And now a group of concerned citizens, including the former LG of Delhi,
00:31have filed a public interest litigation which was heard today in the Supreme Court,
00:35with the Supreme Court judges saying that they will look at this very closely
00:40and that they will look to see what action should be taken on this video.
00:49The PIL has cited several examples of the manner in which hate speech is being spread by constitutional figures,
00:57including in this case, they claim, the Assam chief minister.
01:01Let's listen into what Hemant Abhiswa Sarma has had to say on it
01:04and the left parties who have joined that petition.
01:07Asamka's political discourse is a very polarised discourse.
01:23Asamka's political discourse is a polarised discourse.
01:26That BJP is propagating through their official handle.
01:46This is an open exhortation to target Muslim minorities, to annihilate them.
01:55I call upon the Supreme Court of India to take cognizance of this
02:00and proceed against the chief minister of Assam
02:04because he has violated his oath of office.
02:08Okay, joining me now is one of those who's filed that public interest litigation.
02:15Najeeb Jang, former LG of Delhi, an IS officer joins me.
02:19Najeeb Jang, you have sought judicial intervention
02:22against Assam chief minister Hemant Abhiswa Sarma.
02:26What motivated you to do this legal action on a video of the kind that was released,
02:32put out on social media and later deleted?
02:35Rajdeep, thank you for doing this show.
02:41I think it's necessary to speak on this.
02:44Well, for the last few years we've been extremely perturbed
02:48at the kind of noises we hear
02:51which are threatening, which are obscene against the Muslim community.
02:56We have tried our best to speak to people.
03:00We have spoken to the RSS several times.
03:02But there is no ebbing to this issue.
03:07All kinds of obscene conversations are made.
03:14And this recent video absolutely took the cake.
03:20I mean, Muslims have tolerated being called barking dogs,
03:24being called cut mullah.
03:27Colonel Sophia has been insulted and so on.
03:31But this was born with great patience, thinking that it will ride over.
03:38But now the last two weeks, the statements of the Assam chief minister,
03:43it's not a question of just calling them Mia.
03:46It's a question of a call to throw them out of Assam.
03:50It's a call to deprive them of honest businesses.
03:55And the repercussions have already been felt.
03:57When I read in the paper somewhere that a fare charge for a taxi for 20 rupees
04:04and the lady paid him three or four, now that is extremely serious.
04:09And when you see the chief minister of a state holding a gun,
04:15albeit they have withdrawn that, but it came out.
04:18And the bullet coming through it, heading towards two skull-capped Muslims,
04:24I think it struck terror in the hearts of crores of Muslims.
04:30Because this is a clear indication that is this something more planned against the community?
04:36And therefore we thought that this is the time now that we should approach the Supreme Court.
04:45In fact, let me say this.
04:47I am very disappointed in the courts of the country
04:51because this is something which called for Suomoto action.
04:56The courts should have done it themselves.
04:58But then we got together and there are some 10, 12 of us who are concerned citizens
05:03who felt that we should bring this to the notice of the Supreme Court.
05:09And of course, by filing this petition, this has now come out in public domain.
05:14This action has upset.
05:18Sir, but if I may stop you for a moment.
05:22What you are saying, therefore, is enough is enough
05:24that Muslims are running out of patience by the constant demonization
05:29and targeting of the community.
05:31But on the other hand, the Assam BJP is claiming that this social media ad
05:35was not directed against Indian Muslims.
05:38It was directed against illegal immigrants,
05:40i.e. Bangladeshi, Bengali-speaking Muslims.
05:44That is their argument.
05:45Do you buy this argument that is being made
05:48that you differentiate between Indian Muslims and Bangladeshi Muslims?
05:54Not at all.
05:57It is a nonsensical argument.
05:59They have been caught on the wrong foot
06:01and therefore they are making these excuses.
06:03The language of the chief minister over the last several weeks,
06:07if not several months, is completely unacceptable.
06:10It demands action.
06:13In any sane democracy, action would have been taken against him.
06:17Only two people have filed FIRs against him.
06:20My friend, Harsh Mandar, who is also part of this PIL,
06:24and I am told today, Asaduddin Ovesi in Hyderabad.
06:28Let's see what happens.
06:30But look at the reaction of the Honourable Chief Minister.
06:33He says that he will file 100 FIRs against Harsh.
06:36Is that not an absurd statement?
06:39I mean, you call them meers,
06:42you want to deprive them of their livelihood,
06:45and then you threaten action against a person
06:47who feels that you have done wrong.
06:49So, this going back by the Assam BJP.
06:56But may I ask you this, sir?
06:59May I ask you this?
07:00Is this directed against, therefore, Assam BJP,
07:03Hemant Abhiswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam,
07:05who you say is not fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities?
07:09Because you mentioned in your PIL,
07:11Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane and his hateful remarks.
07:14You mentioned remarks by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval,
07:19again, which you claim have fueled social tension.
07:23Are you seeking, therefore, the Supreme Court
07:25to give clear guidelines for any kind of hate speech?
07:31Because the court has often spoken of a hate speech,
07:33but the police doesn't take action.
07:35So, are you asking now, not just the Assam chief minister,
07:39but anyone from any community who resorts to hate speech,
07:42action must be taken instantly.
07:44Rajdeep, Mr. Sarma's action of that revolver or gun
07:51was the trigger point.
07:53I mean, enough was enough.
07:55But our PIL actually seeks no action against them.
08:00Our PIL is directed at the Supreme Court
08:02that the Supreme Court should lay down guidelines for future,
08:06clear, specific guidelines.
08:08Very often, the courts have spoken against all this.
08:11In a couple of judgments,
08:13they have said that FIR should be filed when there is hate speech.
08:17But no clear guidelines have been set out by the Supreme Court
08:21on how the police should react.
08:24There should be a clear order on anyone.
08:26So, coming to your question, Mr. Sarma's recent act was the trigger point.
08:33But this is directed against all of them who make such speeches.
08:37Because like you said, that you have put an entire community,
08:41and not only the Muslims, the Christians are having an awful time in the country.
08:45No one speaks for them.
08:46Their numbers are so minuscule that they can't defend themselves.
08:51So, we want clear guidelines of action or spoken words against any community.
08:58And that also includes, by the way, Dalits and other backwards.
09:01Thank you very, well, those are very, very strong words, Najeeb Jung.
09:10And I do hope that the court realizes that it also has to fulfill its constitutional responsibility.
09:16Enough is enough.
09:17Hate speech is anti-Constitution.
09:20It is simply unacceptable.
09:23Wake up and smell the coffee is what we can tell the Supreme Court today.
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