‘Campaign Against Hate Speech’ files complaint against Tejasvi Surya in Hanuman Chalisa row
A delegation from the "Campaign Against Hate Speech" met with election officials and police authorities in Karnataka on Wednesday to address concerns regarding alleged hate speech by BJP MP Tejasvi Surya. The delegation filed complaint against Tejasvi Surya, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The delegation first met with Mr. Tushar Girinath, District Election Officer, to lodge a complaint against Tejasvi Surya for purported violations of various legal provisions, including Section 123(a) of the Representation of People Act, the Model Code of Conduct, and sections 153(a), 295(a), and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code.
Additionally, they approached the local police official to file complaints against Shobha Karandlaje, Tejasvi Surya, PC Mohan, and others for allegedly engaging in hate speech and conducting protests in unauthorized locations. The complaints cite violations of sections 153(a), 295(a), and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code.
Furthermore, a complaint was submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka and the Election Commission of India, outlining the grievances and requesting action.
The complaints stem from statements made by Tejasvi Surya on March 18, 2024, via a social media platform, wherein he allegedly targeted the Muslim community and attempted to incite hatred between Hindu and Muslim communities. Surya's remarks, which garnered significant online traction, accused the Congress party of fostering anti-Hindu sentiments and called for action against individuals involved in an alleged assault on a Hindu shopkeeper.
The Campaign Against Hate Speech asserted that Surya's statements, viewed by millions, have the potential to impact communal harmony and influence voters during the elections. They assert that Surya's remarks amount to hate speech and a call to violence against the Muslim community.
“It is pertinent to note the wide reach of Mr. Surya’s statements, having 1 million views, 587 comments, 5.4k retweets and 13 likes. He himself commands a following of 1.3 million persons. Thus, his statements have wide reaching consequences on voters, communal harmony, and the elections. Subsequently, he has attempted to stoke communal hatred by calling for Hanuman Chalisa to be everywhere and for this to start from the victim shopkeeper’s shop,” the complaint draft added.
The delegation contended that Surya's actions violate various legal provisions, including the Model Code of Conduct, which prohibits activities that exacerbate existing differences or create mutual hatred between different religious or linguistic groups. They argued that Surya's statements are also in violation of sections 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code, as well as Section 123(3A) of the Representation of People's Act, 1951.
The delegation urged authorities to investigate the matter and take appropriate action against Surya and the BJP, emphasizing that hate speech has no place in society, particularly during election campaigns. They also provided video evidence of Surya's statements and called for immediate prosecution.
“His statements amount to clear violation of the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct Rule I “General Conduct” under Clause (1), no party or candidate “..shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.”. This prohibits in clear terms the aggravation of existing differences, the creation of mutual hatred, or the causing of tension between different castes, communities, religions, or languages. Mr. Tejasvi Surya’s statements are a direct and clear violation of the model code of conduct as well and hence, appropriate action may be initiated against the BJP and the candidate,” the complaint stated.
“Statements such as those made by Mr. Tejasvi Surya, if left unpunished, undermine the secular fabric of our Constitution and severely strain the quality of equality enshrined in Article 14. These statements, which effectively deny equal citizenship to religious communities, are in gross violation of the anti-discrimination principle underpinning our Constitution. Every person has the right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution, which includes in its fold the right to live free from fear. In order to protect these core values of our Constitution, and to ensure that religious communities are not subjected to hate speech and denial of citizenship, we urge you to take urgent action in this regard,” it added.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Advocate Shilpa Prasad who was a part of the Campaign Against Hate Speech’s delegation said the Nodal Officer at the Chief Electoral Officer received the complaint and has assured them of following the process and initiating action if the complaint and the allegations were to found to be true. Shilpa also added that the complaint was also submitted to the District Election Officer Tushar Girinath and the local police authorities.
Shilpa was accompanied by three other members from the Campaign Against Hate Speech – Vinay, Aishwarya, Tanveer in the delegation that met the official to submit the complaint.
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US SC rejects 26/11 attack accused Tahawwur Rana’s plea seeking stay on his extradition to India
New York, Apr 7 (PTI): The US Supreme Court has rejected 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana's appeal seeking a stay on his extradition to India, moving him closer to being handed over to Indian authorities to face justice.
Rana, 64, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles.
He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks. Headley conducted a recce of Mumbai before the attacks by posing as an employee of Rana’s immigration consultancy.
Rana had submitted an ‘Emergency Application For Stay Pending Litigation of Petition For Writ of Habeas Corpus' on February 27, 2025, with Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and Circuit Justice for the Ninth Circuit Elena Kagan.
Kagan had denied the application earlier last month.
Rana had then renewed his ‘Emergency Application for Stay Pending Litigation of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus previously addressed to Justice Kagan’, and requested that the renewed application be directed to US Chief Justice John Roberts.
An order on the Supreme Court website noted that Rana's renewed application had been “distributed for Conference” on April 4 and the “application” has been “referred to the Court.”
A notice on the Supreme Court website Monday said that “Application denied by the Court.”
Rana was convicted in the US of one count of conspiracy to provide material support to the terrorist plot in Denmark and one count of providing material support to Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashker-e-Taiba which was responsible for the attacks in Mumbai.
New York-based Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra had told PTI that Rana had made his application to the Supreme Court to prevent extradition, which Justice Kagan denied on March 6. The application was then submitted before Roberts, “who has shared it with the Court to conference so as to harness the entire Court’s view.”
The Supreme Court justices are Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
In his emergency application, Rana had sought a stay of his extradition and surrender to India pending litigation (including exhaustion of all appeals) on the merits of his February 13.
In that petition, Rana argued that his extradition to India violates US law and the UN Convention Against Torture "because there are substantial grounds for believing that, if extradited to India, the petitioner will be in danger of being subjected to torture."
"The likelihood of torture in this case is even higher though as petitioner faces acute risk as a Muslim of Pakistani origin charged in the Mumbai attacks,” the application said.
The application also said that his “severe medical conditions” render extradition to Indian detention facilities a “de facto" death sentence in this case.
The US Supreme Court denied Rana's petition for a writ of certiorari relating to his original habeas petition on January 21. The application notes that on that same day, newly-confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio had met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington on February 12 to meet with Trump, Rana’s counsel received a letter from the Department of State, stating that “on February 11, 2025, the Secretary of State decided to authorise” Rana’s "surrender to India,” pursuant to the “Extradition Treaty between the United States and India”.
Rana’s Counsel requested from the State Department the complete administrative record on which Secretary Rubio based his decision to authorize Rana’s surrender to India.
The Counsel also requested immediate information of any commitment the United States has obtained from India with respect to Rana’s treatment. “The government declined to provide any information in response to these requests,” the application said.
It added that given Rana’s underlying health conditions and the State Department’s findings regarding the treatment of prisoners, it is very likely “Rana will not survive long enough to be tried in India".
During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi in the White House in February, President Donald Trump announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "very evil" Rana, wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, "to face justice in India”.
A total of 166 people, including six Americans, were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in which 10 Pakistani terrorists laid a more than 60-hour siege, attacking and killing people at iconic and vital locations in Mumbai.
