The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to hear controversial foreign-funded ‘activist’ Harsh Mander’s plea till he clarifies on his hate speech and his comments against the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court slammed the controversial ‘activist’ after his controversial hate speech inciting people to hit the streets was submitted to the apex court.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court was hearing a petition concerning the anti-Hindu riots that engulfed the streets of Delhi. Appearing for the government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta objected to the petition filed by Mander.
“Harsh Mander’s speech says we have no faith in the Supreme Court and still we have to go. This is the speech at CAA protests,” SG Mehta said.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta cited the video clip of Harsh Mander making hate speech and “calling on the people of India” to hit the streets and also expressing distrust in the courts, saying “real justice will be done on the streets”. Mander had said that “there is no trust left in the courts and that ultimate justice has to be on the streets”.
Following the incendiary remarks, the Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said the court will not Harsh Mander’s petition unless he clarifies on the matter.
“You made statements against the Supreme Court. We will not hear from you now… If Harsh Mander feels about the Supreme Court, then we will have decided on that first,” Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said, referring to Mander’s hate speech during an anti-CAA protest in January, where he had asked mobs to hit the streets and dismantle courts and parliament.
SG Mehta also cited an old plea by Harsh Mander in which he had called upon Supreme Court judges to show loyalty to the nation.
However, Mander’s counsel represented by Karuna Nundy denied that he made any such statement.
Mander had filed a petition seeking registration of FIR against BJP leader Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Sahib Singh and Abhay Verma for their alleged hate speeches in the run-up to the Delhi assembly elections.
The top court declined to hear Harsh Mander in his petition after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta produced transcripts of his reported speech at Jamia. Nundy also sought time to verify the hate speech.
Interestingly, SG Mehta took a dig at Harsh Mander and his counsel stating that it was strange that Mander wanted time for verifying his own speech but wants FIRs against everyone immediately, citing Mander’s plea seeking FIR against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and others for their alleged hate speeches.
Calling Mander’s speech “derogatory and instigating”, the Solicitor General also pointed out that in the past, former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had struck off Harsh Mander’s name as a petitioner in a case involving Assam’s detention centres. At the time, the activist had asked for a change of bench. “Learn to trust your judges,” Ranjan Gogoi had said, accusing Harsh Mander of “damaging the institution” and dismissing his plea, cited SG Mehta.
Yesterday, an undated video had now gone viral where Mander can be heard saying how there is no scope of secularism in Supreme Court, especially after the Ayodhya verdict. Speaking to a gathering in Delhi, the foreign-funded activist was seen inciting the mob, calling them to descend on streets to decide for themselves based on the show of the strength. Mander claimed that time has now come for people to hit the streets as both the Supreme Court and parliament have failed them.
The George Soros funded former member of Sonia Gandhi’s NAC, Harsh Mander had attempted pushing the Muslims to rebel against the institutions of the country, by asking them to show their strength on the streets. In a way, Mander who claims to be a saviour of Constitution had asked the crowd to dismantle Parliament and Courts and create anarchy on the streets of the country. Harsh Mander was perhaps hinting at a mob-controlled governance structure where justice is delivered on the streets.
Harsh Mander is also the Chairman of George Soros’s Open Society Foundation’s Human Rights Initiative Advisory Board.
Harsh Mander’s hate speech comes at a time when the Delhi High Court has already issued a notice to the centre in connection to a plea seeking an FIR against him and others including rabble-rousers like RJ Sayema, Swara Bhaskar, Amanatullah Khan (AAP Party) for instigating people to indulge in violence during the anti-Hindu riots.
