Court admits petition against VHP leaders

The Delhi high court on Monday issued notices to the Centre, the state government and police on a public interest litigation seeking registration of first information reports against Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders, including its international general secretary Pravin Togadia, for allegedly making inflammatory speeches at the dharma sansad in Delhi in February.

A bench comprising Justice Usha Mehra and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog asked the respondents to file their replies by August 22.

Kamran Siddique, president of the Real Cause, a non-governmental organisation, had filed the petition. The court had earlier dismissed a PIL filed by him saying, "We cannot entertain petitions based on newspaper reports."

Following this, Siddique produced a VCD of the speeches, their transcripts and newspaper reports.

He requested the court to direct the Delhi police to initiate criminal proceedings against the VHP leaders.

Siddique said the police not only failed to register any case against the VHP leaders, but also allowed them to distribute tridents in the capital on May 4.