Speeches of BJP Leaders Do Not Hurt Sentiments: Police Tells Bombay High Court

The Maharashtra Police on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that the speeches made by BJP leaders, including Nitesh Rane, towards Rohingyas and Bangladeshis do not hurt religious sentiments.

The statement was made while the division bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Shyam Chandak was hearing a petition seeking the registration of an FIR against BJP leaders for their hate speeches.

Four cases were registered against the BJP leaders, but only in one case was Section 295 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the IPC invoked.

Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar informed the bench that the police commissioner had reviewed the transcripts of the speeches and found that no case warranted invoking Section 295 of the IPC.

He submitted that no case was made out as Rohingyas and Bangladeshis are not Indians, emphasizing that the sentiments of no Indians were hurt because of such speeches.

The high court accepted the statement made by the public prosecutor and disposed of the petition seeking registration of FIR against BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, BJP MLA Geeta Jain, and BJP MLA T Raja for alleged hate speeches during the Mira Road Violence in January this year.

The petitioners have contended that the police were required to register an FIR against the BJP MLAs as there was an order of the Supreme Court of India directing the police to suo moto register FIRs in cases of hate speeches.

The petitioners have also pointed out the communal speech made by BJP MLA T Raja on February 25 during a rally, against which no action was taken.

Further, they added that BJP MLAs Nitesh Rane and Geeta Jain visited parts of Mira Road, threatening the people of the minority community.