Date: August 2, 2023

In the aftermath of the recent communal clashes in Nuh and Gurugram, an Interlocutory Application (IA) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to put a stop to the planned rallies by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal in the National Capital Region (NCR). The application was made in a pending writ petition concerning hate speeches.

Senior Advocate Chander Uday Singh presented the IA before Justice Aniruddha Bose, who was handling the matter on an urgent listing. However, Justice Bose expressed doubts about his authority to entertain the mentioning for the IA's listing and suggested that Singh obtain a confirmation on this matter.

Due to the significance of the issue and the unavailability of the Chief Justice of India and the next four senior judges, who were engaged in the Constitution Bench hearing the Article 370 case, Singh approached the Chief Justice of India's bench seeking clarification.

"I am really sorry to do this. A clarification is needed on whether Hon'ble Justice Bose's bench can hear mentioning. This is something very urgent...", Singh submitted before the Chief Justice of India.

The Chief Justice clarified that there is a provision in the latest Standard Operating Procedure (SoP), which allows for the submission of mentioning requests through email. However, once the official mentioning hours are over, the Registrar (Listing) will handle such requests and the Chief Justice will then pass immediate orders on the listing.

"All mentioning requests made till last night at 9 PM were attended to. I was a little more liberal since I knew this was going to happen as the first five judges are in the Constitution Bench. All requests have been granted. If there is something over and above that, the SoP has a provision. Follow that, and I will give a date immediately," the Chief Justice assured Singh.

In his plea, Singh highlighted that twenty-seven marches have been announced by VHP-Bajrang Dal in various parts of the National Capital Region to protest against the recent happenings in Nuh. He urged the court to intervene and prevent any further escalation of tensions through these rallies.

The Chief Justice asked Singh to send an email immediately with the necessary details, emphasizing that he would take prompt action upon receiving it.

The matter remains of utmost importance, given the sensitivity of the situation and the potential consequences if the rallies proceed unchecked. The Supreme Court's response to the IA will likely shape the course of events and the handling of future communal-related issues in the region.