Amit Shah moves HC against FIRs on hate speeches

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit Shah on Wednesday moved the Allahabad high court challenging the FIRs lodged against him by the Uttar Pradesh government for alleged hate speeches made by him at election meetings in Bijnore and Shamli districts.

A division bench comprising justices Arun Tandon and Satish Chandra posted the matter for Thursday while directing the state government to submit CDs of the speeches delivered by Shah at these two places.

Shah, who is the party's in-charge for UP and a close aide of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, has been booked under Section 153 A of IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion" and Section 125 of Representation of People Act (promoting enmity between classes in connection with election).

In the speeches delivered over the last weekend, Shah had allegedly exhorted members of the Jat community to "avenge" the killings of their caste brethren in the Muzaffarnagar communal violence by voting for the BJP.

Shah has sought a stay on his arrest in this connection besides quashing of the FIRs.