New Delhi, Feb 17 (Agency) Supreme Court on Friday in an interim order stayed the trial proceedings against Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal in a case registered against him in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly delivering an inflammatory speech in the run-up to the 2014 general elections in Varanasi. A Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice KM Joseph and also comprising Justice BV Nagarathna stayed the trial proceedings against Kejriwal in the criminal case registered against him in 2014, and fixed the matter for further hearing after five weeks.
It was alleged that during an election campaign in 2014, Kejriwal had said “those who believe in ‘Khuda’ won’t be pardoned by ‘Khuda’ if they vote for BJP”. Kejriwal had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court order which rejected his plea for discharge from the case. The Allahabad High Court while dismissing Kejriwal’s plea had said that it appeared that Kejriwal is threatening the voters in the name of ‘Khuda’ knowing fully well that if he uses the term ‘Khuda’, some set of voters belonging to different religions might be severely influenced. Earlier, the Sultanpur Court in Uttar Pradesh had dismissed his discharge application also, and then, he had to move the HC, which had also rejected his prayer to grant him relief. During the course of the hearing of the case during the day, the bench expressed disapproval of the statement made by Kejriwal saying, “Why are you bringing God? In a secular country, leave God alone.
God doesn’t need anyone’s protection, He can take care of himself.” Senior advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, said, “Sometimes during political campaigning, unintentional things are said”. “There are no allegations of any law and order problems or communal disharmony happening after the speech,” Singhvi added. Singhvi, while urging that proceedings against Kejriwal be stayed, said, “Now that I am the Chief Minister, I will be called to UP every time… The discharge has been dismissed, the whole object is to call me and arrest me.“ Singhvi said, Khuda is used for God not of any particular religion. It is not an appeal to Muslims. Appeals have to have a continuum. “Here there is no elaboration or continuity. Just putting someone in fear is not an offence, on the face of it, there has to be hatred and enmity,” Singhvi told the Supreme Court.