Gauhati HC notice to Assam CM over ‘hate speech’

The Gauhati High Court on Thursday issued a notice to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in connection with a bunch of PILs, accusing him of giving “hate speech”.

Notices were also issued to the state government and the DGP in connection with three different petitions on the matter.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury heard the three petitions.

The court fixed April 21 as the next date of hearing.

“The respondents have to reply to the notices before the next date. The court has not issued any other order,” Advocate Santanu Borthakur, who assisted the counsels for one of the petitioners, said.

One petition was filed by Sahitya Akademi awardee litterateur Hiren Gohain, former DGP Harekrishna Deka and senior journalist Paresh Malakar on February 24. The CPI and CPM had also filed separate petitions on February 21 over the matter.

The Supreme Court on February 16 refused to entertain petitions seeking action against Sarma in a similar matter.

The petitioners alleged that the remarks made by Sarma could divide society.

“The Respondent No. 3 (Sarma), while addressing mediapersons, openly admitted to having directed members of his political party to deliberately file complaints against Bengali-origin Muslims, referred to by him pejoratively as ‘miyas’, with the express object of causing them harassment and hardship,” alleged the petition filed by the three prominent citizens.