Orissa HC allows controversial speaker at meet, but bars media coverage | India News

CUTTACK:The Orissa high court allowed public speaker and activist Puspendra Kulasrestha to participate in a seminar in Sambalpur but with the rider that he “shall not speak anything against any other religion” and that “his speech should not be aired by any media house in the country”. The event scheduled for Sunday, however, was cancelled.
A single judge bench of Justice S K Panigrahi specified on Thursday that “his speech should not create any kind of communal disharmony or threaten the national integration or security of the country…”
Justice Panigrahi set the riders while disposing of a petition that had challenged the Sambalpur district administration’s order not to allow a public meeting in Sambalpur town on Sunday on national integration and security.
The petition was filed by Radha Sriniwas Sewa Trust, with advocate Anirudha Sangnaria arguing on its behalf. Responding to the petition, state counsel G R Mohapatra submitted that since Sambalpur has witnessed communal disharmony in the past, any kind of seminar or meeting which is likely to disturb the peace of the area cannot be allowed.
“On verification of the YouTube channel of the eminent guest (Puspendra Kulasrestha) who is being invited to the seminar, it is found that his speeches are mostly aggressive in nature and always creates hatred against a particular religion. The said speech might trigger, create and revive tension in Sambalpur town,” the state counsel submitted.
Taking note, high court Justice Panigrahi, while allowing the seminar to go ahead, said, “Be that as it may, this court is of the view that the right to freedom of speech and expression cannot be curtailed merely on apprehension, unless such specific instances are cited before the court to ban a person’s speech.”
The high court allowed Puspendra Kulasrestha to participate in a seminar but with the rider that he “shall not speak anything against any other religion”