Farm leader Dalbir Singh who spoke ‘against Haryana CM Khattar’ gets bail

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 3

Freedom of speech is a fundamental right and makes a foundation for a strong democracy, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday asserted while granting regular bail to farm leader Dalbir Singh.

He had delivered speeches, which according to the state, had objectionable contents regarding Haryana Chief Minister. The state’s stand was that the speeches could have resulted in caste-based division, creating a threat to peace and harmony.

Justice Avneesh Jhingan asserted the court has no occasion to consider the merits of the allegations in detail while dealing with the petitions for grant of regular bail. “Suffice to say that freedom of speech is a fundamental right and makes a foundation for a strong democracy. At this stage, must hasten to add that embargo to freedom of speech is prescribed in Article 19 of the Constitution of India itself”.

Dalbir had moved the High Court against the state of Haryana by filing two petitions through senior advocate Randeep Surjewala and counsel R Kartikeya for regular bail in FIRs registered on February, 22, 2017, and May 24 at Sadar police station in Jind.