Allahabad High Court Disposes PIL Seeking SIT Probe Into Robert Vadra's Remarks On Pahalgam Terror Attack

The Allahabad High Court today disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea seeking a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the recent remark by Businessman and husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Robert Vadra, on the Pahalgam terror attack.A bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Om Prakash Shukla asked the petitioner [Hindu Front For Justice (through its President, Advocate Ranjana Agnihotri)] to avail alternative remedies under the law, including but not limited to filing an FIR or a criminal complaint.The PIL plea, filed earlier this week, claimed that Vadra's 'provocative' speech had created an atmosphere of fear and unrest among the Hindu community, which attracts Sections 152, 302, and 399 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.The PIL plea argued that the Hindus are bound to take an exception to the 'hate' speech and that they apprehend that Vadra is working for 'Gajwa-e-Hind' (loosely translated as 'Conquest of India')For context, as per the report of the PTI, Vadra had remarked that non-Muslims were attacked in Pahalgam as terrorists feel Muslims are being "mistreated" in the country.While submitting that Non-violence, or Ahimsa, has long been a cornerstone of Hindu philosophy, the PIL plea argued that Vadra's speech amounts to victim blaming.“…Robert Vadra stating in his speech that Hindu People were killed because Hindu's have been propagating their religion and Muslims are feeling weak and the ultimate blame lies on Hindutva that Hindu's were identified and killed just because they were Hindu's is a classic example of brainwashed victim blaming because of political vote banks, gains and appeasement…that this deliberate, targeted, separatist and clearly politically motivated statement is made by the Robert Vadra with the intention of hurting and dividing a community while appeasing the other…,” the PIL plea submits.Furthermore, the petitioner also took exception to the alleged remark by Vadra that the state is adopting the Hindu Religion and pushing forward Hindutva as the justification for this inhumane terror attack.“…the state is neither preaching nor encouraging to practice religion in any manner. The understanding of the petitioner of the meaning of the word 'secular' is not correct, Articles 25 to 30 of the Constitution of India, guarantee the freedom of religion and faith to all citizens and the State cannot interfere with their faith and religion…. India is not anti-religious to oppose any religious faith”, the plea adds.Against this backdrop, the PIL plea prayed for an SIT probe regarding Vadra's remark and “to find out the root cause and the elements behind such poisonous, separatist and insensitive statement”.It also prayed for a writ order or direction to the UOI and UP Govt to take appropriate actions against Vadra in light of his violations of sections 299, 152 and 302 BNS.

Allahabad High Court Disposes PIL Seeking SIT Probe Into Robert Vadra's Remarks On Pahalgam Terror Attack

Sparsh Upadhyay

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