SC raps Delhi police for inaction against provocative speeches

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up Delhi police for not taking action against those who had made inflammatory speeches and said that if it had acted as required by law and in time the violence that claimed nearly 20 lives could have been averted.

Justice K.M. Joseph, part of the two-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, said: “If you had acted the way law required you to act and stopped people from making inflammatory remarks the spiral of violence could have been averted and lives saved.”

“Lack of professionalism of the police is the main problem here. If you had not allowed people to get away after inflammatory remarks, all this would not have happened. If you act the way law requires to act, you will see the difference,” Justice Joseph observed hitting out at Delhi police for its inaction.

The court was obviously pointing to police not taking cognisance of BJP leader Kapil Mishra making inflammatory remarks against those opposing Citizenship Amendment Act.

“I will say”, Justice Joseph retorted when solicitor general Tushar Mehta said that the observation from the judge may “demoralise the police” during these tense times.

“One of my constables has died. My DCP is injured. He is on ventilator. Let us not demoralise the police by saying anything now. We do not know what the situation on the ground is,” Mr. Mehta kept imploring the court.

“This will happen if you allow people to get away. Unless you get the police to act, there will be no difference. Look at how police acts in the U.K. Do they require somebody’s nod? If somebody makes an inflammatory remark, police swings into action immediately,” Justice Joseph said emphasising that the violence and the consequent loss of life was on account of police inaction which did not act the way it was expected.