The Delhi high court (HC) asked the government on Monday why a criminal case should not be registered against hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, writer Arundhati Roy and Delhi University professor SAR Geelani for making alleged anti-India speeches.
Justice Hima Kohli asked the Centre and the Delhi government to respond by January 27 to a petition seeking criminal prosecution of Geelani and the others for sedition and other offences.
Advocate Sugriva Dubey, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the government should be directed to take action under section 124 A IPC (sedition).
�Freedom of speech never includes the freedom of propagation of ideas against national interest. One has to ensure that speeches provoking innocent people should not be allowed,� he submitted while referring to the speeches made by Geelani and others at a seminar in the national capital on October 25.
Geelani had shared the dais with Roy and pro-Maoist leader Vara Vara Rao, among others, at the seminar.
The advocate alleged that Roy saidin her speech that Jammu and Kashmir was not an integral part of India.She allegedly called upon the youth of Kashmir to make sacrifices for the state.
Two complaints have already been filed in a lower court against Hurriyat leader Geelani and others for making anti-India speeches.
A metropolitan magistrate had on November 10 decided to record pre-summoning evidence of the complainants who have sought prosecution of the three speech-makers.
In another case filed against them, another subordinate court has directed Delhi Police to file a status report by November 16.