'Hate speech' involving Yogi Adityanath: SC dismisses plea against HC order

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea challenging the Allahabad High Court judgement in a matter pertaining to the alleged hate speech of 2007 involving Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said it is not necessary to go into issue of denial of sanction in this case.

“The legal questions of sanction will be kept open to be dealt with an appropriate case,” the bench also comprising Justices Hima Kohli and C T Ravikumar said.

In its verdict delivered in February 2018, the high court had said it has not found any procedural error either in the conduct of an investigation or in the decision-making process of refusal to grant sanction to prosecute.

An FIR was lodged at a police station in Gorakhpur against Adityanath, then a Member of Parliament, and several others on alleged charges of promoting enmity between two groups.

It was alleged that several incidents of violence were reported in Gorakhpur on that day after an alleged hate speech by Adityanath.

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