Today, On 10th May, The Calcutta High Court prohibited discussing Murshidabad’s demographics in relation to the Ram Navami violence. This decision comes amidst tensions surrounding the incident and aims to prevent any inflammatory statements regarding the region’s population composition. The court’s order highlights the importance of maintaining communal harmony and avoiding rhetoric that could incite further unrest.
Calcutta: The Calcutta High Court, On Friday, issued an order forbidding political entities and individuals from making any statements that could incite communal tension regarding the demographic or religious statistics of Murshidabad.
The order, issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, addressed concerns about inflammatory rhetoric in the communally volatile areas of Murshidabad, particularly from certain elected officials.
Read Also: Calcutta HC permits Ram Navami procession in Howrah
The bench decreed,
“Given that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is currently conducting a preliminary investigation into the matter, which this court is overseeing, we hereby order that no individual, organization, or political party shall make any comments related to the subject issue, including any discussions about demographics or statistical data regarding the population and their religious affiliations.”
Last month, Murshidabad experienced communal unrest during the Ram Navami festivities.
The Court reviewed two petitions, one from Vishva Hindu Parishad and another from Muslim Rashtriya Manch, both requesting a thorough investigation into the abrupt violence that erupted in different areas of Murshidabad involving two communities.
During the hearing on Friday, an attorney representing one of the parties informed the bench that a recent ‘hate speech’ delivered by an elected official.
The attorney conveyed to the court,
“The elected official stated that Hindus make up merely 30 percent of the local population, with Muslims constituting the remaining 70 percent. He further declared that in incidents like an attack on a mosque, the power of the majority, which in this case refers to Muslims, should dominate.”
The court learned that during last month’s unrest, bombs were thrown by troublemakers. The Additional Solicitor General (ASG), Ashoke Kr Chakraborty, informed the bench that if these allegations of bombs being used were accurate, they would fall under the Scheduled Offences according to the National Investigation Agency Act (NIA Act).
Chief Justice Sivagnanam responded,
“If this is the case, then the First Information Reports (FIRs) filed in this matter should be handed over to a central agency. However, let’s allow the NIA adequate time to review the reports that indicate the use of bombs.”
Consequently, the court deferred the hearing until June 13, instructing the NIA to submit a comprehensive report after evaluating all the evidence available to them.
FOLLOW US FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES ON YOUTUBE
