SC refuses to hear plea to stop 'mahapanchayat' in Uttarakhand town, authorities impose prohibitory orders

Uttarkashi/New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea seeking to prevent a ‘mahapanchayat’ called by Hindu outfits in Uttarakhand's Purola against what they termed as incidents of "love jihad," while prohibitory orders were imposed in the town by the local administration.

The 'mahapanchayat' is slated to take place in Purola town on Thursday though the administration has not given permission to it.

Communal tension has been brewing in Purola and some other towns of Uttarkashi district after two men, one of them Muslim, allegedly tried to abduct a Hindu girl on May 26.

Though the girl was rescued and the accused sent to judicial custody, local trade bodies and right wing Hindu outfits have run a sustained campaign against "love jihad" in Purola and the neighbouring towns, including Barkot, Chinyalisaur and Bhatwari.

In the Supreme Court, a vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah asked advocate Sharukh Alam to avail remedy available in law and granted her liberty to approach the high court or any other authority concerned on a plea to prevent the ‘mahapanchayat’ and registration of an FIR against hate speeches allegedly targeting members of a particular community. "We are not short circuiting the legal process. There is a high court and district administration, you can approach them. Maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government, why do you think no action will be taken if matter is brought to its notice. You should have faith in the high court", the bench said.

Alam stated that posters and letters have been written asking members of a particular community to leave Uttarkashi and despite their being a continuing mandamus in the matter of hate speeches that police have to register an FIR suo motu, no action has been taken.

"The material suggests that FIR needs to be registered under UAPA. A mahapanchayat is scheduled to be held on June 15 and they have given an ultimatum to district administration to remove members of a particular community by June 15", Alam said.

Ahead of the mahapanchayat, Purola Sub Divisional Magistrate Devanand Sharma said prohibitory orders banning the assembly of four or more people under Section 144 will remain in force till June 19. Section 144 has been imposed in Purola as there could be an attempt by people to disrupt peace, he said.

Right wing Hindu outfits, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan, have given a call for the mahapanchayat on Thursday against "love jihad".

"Love jihad" is a term often used by BJP leaders and right wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.

Apart from the abduction bid reported from Purola on May 26, another failed abduction attempt of two minor sisters of Nepali origin by a man called Nawab was reported on June 8 from Arakot area of Uttarkashi district.

The accused in both cases were booked under section 363 (abduction) of the IPC and the POCSO Act.

Over 40 shops run by Muslims in Purtla have not opened even a fortnight after the abduction attempt.

Posters asking alleged perpetrators of "love jihad" to leave the town or face consequences had also appeared on shops run by Muslims last week.

Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Rohilla and SP Arpan Yaduvanshi met officials and all sections of people in Purola on Monday and appealed to them to maintain peace.

Muslim Seva Sangathan, an organisation fighting for the rights of Muslims, has also given a call for holding a mahapanchayat in Dehradun on June 18.

Muslim bodies like Uttarakhand Waqf Board and state Haj committee have appealed to the chief minister to take stringent action against "anti-social" elements trying to derail peace in the hills and protect Muslims who have been living in Purola for generations.