Kapil Mishra 'clear out in 3 days' speech case

On February 22, 2020, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kapil Mishra delivered a speech at a rally in Maujpur, Delhi, warning the police to clear sites occupied by anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters within three days or face a “Kashmir-level” response. The next day, large-scale communal riots erupted across North-East Delhi, killing 53 people and injuring hundreds. Complaints were filed accusing Mishra of delivering hate speech and inciting violence. While police initially hesitated to register a case, the Delhi High Court intervened to order an FIR. The speech is widely viewed as a primary trigger for the deadliest sectarian violence in the capital in decades.

No conviction has been secured. Following court-directed intervention, Delhi Police registered an FIR and conducted a probe. As of 2025, trial proceedings are ongoing, and Kapil Mishra has not been charged specifically in this speech for riot-related offenses, though the larger riots conspiracy case remains under judicial scrutiny.

Whether Kapil Mishra's speech constituted hate speech and direct incitement to the 2020 Delhi riots, and whether the police deliberately delayed registering a case due to political pressure, thereby obstructing accountability for a ruling party legislator.

The speech intensified communal polarization in India and became a lightning rod for debates on hate speech laws and political impunity. It eroded trust in law enforcement neutrality and deepened the political chasm between the ruling BJP and the opposition. The incident drew international attention, damaged India's human rights image, and fueled protracted litigation over the state's responsibility to prevent and penalize inflammatory rhetoric by public officials that precedes mass violence.