The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices in two impleadment applications seeking registration of first information reports against various individuals in connection with the Delhi communal violence plea, moved by activist Harsh Mander, reported Bar and Bench. Mander’s plea has sought filing of FIR against Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma, and Kapil Mishra for allegedly making provocative speeches over the past month.

One of the two impleadment applications, moved by advocate Sanjjiiv Kkumar, has sought FIRs against Mander, radio jockey Sayema Rahman, actor Swara Bhasker, and Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan. Kkumar’s plea has also sought a National Investigation Agency inquiry into the matter.

The other plea has sought FIRs against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi and his party colleague Waris Pathan for allegedly delivering hate speech. This plea was moved by Hindu Sena President Vishnu Gupta.

The notices were sent to the Delhi government, the Centre, and the Delhi Police – all parties in Mander’s plea.

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The plea by Hindu Sena has alleged that hate speech made by Owaisi and Pathan fuelled the communal violence in the national Capital. “The plan of this urban naxal group was to defame India, to paint India as [a] failed state and thus to bleed my Mother India internationally, economically, and in every way possible,” the plea stated. The two petitions will be taken up again on April 13.

In another petition by an organisation called “Lawyers Voice”, the Delhi High Court has issued notices to the Delhi Police, the Centre, and the Delhi administration in relation to a plea seeking FIRs and a special investigation team inquiry against Opposition leaders. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been named in the plea along with AAP leaders Amanatullah Khan, and Manish Sisodia. The plea also seeks action against AIMIM leaders Waris Pathan, Akbaruddin Owaisi, and lawyer Mehmood Pracha.

The petitioner highlighted speeches made by the politicians to contend that they had allegedly instigated people to perpetrate violence, reported Live Law. The matter will also be taken up on April 13. All the petitions were heard by a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Hari Shankar.

At least 39 people were killed due to large-scale communal violence in parts of North East Delhi. On Thursday, during proceedings on Mander’s plea, the police told the High Court that the situation was not conducive for filing FIRs against the three BJP leaders. The High Court also allowed the Centre to become a party in the case, and gave the administration four weeks’ time to respond to the plea.