High Court Warns Politicians Against Making Any Provocative Speeches

New Delhi: The Punjab and Haryana High court has ordered that no politician or religious leader should make any provocative statements in the aftermath of the violence that followed the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

Ordering a list of guidelines for the state authorities to follow, the order by a bench of Acting Chief Justice SS Saron, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Avneesh Jhingan came on a PIL claiming obstruction to law and order that police must prevent any such cases from happening that may impact public order.

“In case any politician or anybody else including ministers interferes in the enforcement of law FIR be registered against him or them. In case of failure eon part of the police officer to register an FIR, similar action would be called against him,” the bench said.

“No politician, leader, social worker, spiritual leader, religious leader or any such organisation shall make any provocative speech or statement which may have a tendency to affect public order,” the bench added.

Just hours after the order, BJP lawmaker and controversial Hindu leader, Sakshi Maharaj, called the rape convict was a kind soul.

“Who is right? Crores of people who see god in Ram Rahim or that girl who filed a complaint? Accusing a noble soul like Ram Rahim,” he said.

Maharaj’s statement came amid violence in Haryana and Punjab, in which at least 32 people were killed and over 250 injured after the Dera chief was convicted by a CBI court for raping a minor, 15 years ago.

Sakshi Maharaj said Ram Rahim’s conviction was an attempt to “malign Indian culture". He went on to blame the court for violence that had erupted soon after Rahim was convicted.

"There is so much of ruckus over it, law and order has been disturbed, people are dying... Shouldn't this be a consideration," he added.

The court has also stated that the police force and paramilitary can deal with the situation as they like and should be ‘unrelenting’ in performing their duties.

“The police force and paramilitary forces would have free-hand to deal with the situation wherever and whenever required against any individual or any section of the society or organisation. In case of need, the army shall be deployed and be made operational. The police forces must act and perform their duties to the full, there should be no lapse on their part in the performance of their duties. They should be unrelenting in performing their duties at this critical hour,” the bench said.