The Delhi High Court on Monday has been informed by Delhi Government that the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has issued a show cause notice to the Chairman of Delhi Minorities Commission Zafarul Islam Khan, against whom an FIR has been registered for making for making seditious statements on Social Media.
Delhi Government Counsel Anupam Srivastav informed the court that LG has send the show cause notice to Zafarul Islam Khan on May 8.
Following the submissions made by GNCTD Counsel, the division bench of Justices Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Sangita Dhingra Sehgal of Delhi High Court disposed of the plea which had sought Khan’s removal from the post of Chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission.
The Delhi High Court has opined that since under Section 4(4)(f) of the Delhi Minorities Commission Act, the opinion whether a Member or a Chairperson of the Delhi Minorities Commission has abused his position and/or in the public interest is liable to be removed from the post of Chairperson or Member, is to be of the Delhi Government, it is not open to this Court to order the removal of Khan.”
The Delhi High Court directions came on a Plea filed by Mr. Subhash Chandra who alleged that Zafarul posted a seditious and hateful comment/post on Facebook hence, he sought removal of Zafarul-Islam Khan from the post of Chairman Delhi Minorities Commission.
The post stated, “…Mind you, bigots, Indian Muslims have opted until now not to complain to the Arabs and Muslim world about your hate campaigns and lynching and riots. The day they are pushed to do that, bigots will face an avalanche.”
The Counsel appearing for the petitioner Mr. Alakh Alok submitted before the Court that Zafarul has abused his position of Chairperson of the Delhi Minorities Commission and his continuance on the said post is detrimental to the public interest.
The plea said, “It is respectfully submitted that by making the aforesaid seditious and derogatory statement, the Respondent No.4 has abused the position of Chairperson in such a manner that his continuance in office is detrimental to the interests of the minorities as well as to the public interest.”
“A bare perusal of the aforesaid public statement made by the Respondent No. 4 (Zafarul Islam) further categorically reveals that he has deliberately and intentionally promoted enmity between different groups on the ground of religion and has done acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony,” the plea added.
-India Legal Bureau