The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi Police to take a “conscious decision” on the registration of FIRs against three prominent political leaders for alleged hate speeches and thereby inciting violence in the national capital.

The three BJP leaders are Kapil Mishra, Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma.

Pulling up the city police, the Delhi High Court asked the Delhi Police to sit and watch all videos of hate speeches made in the recent past and submit a report by tomorrow when it will hear the matter again.

The court has sought explanation on why there was such delay in registering FIRs in cases of hate speech.

“Why are you not showing alacrity when it comes to registration of FIR in these cases?… We want peace to prevail. We do not want the city to witness another 1984 riots. This city has seen enough violence and anguish. Let it not repeat 1984,” the bench said.

On being asked why it has yet not registered FIRs against BJP leaders Kapil Mishra, Parvesh Verma and Anurag Thakur for delivering hate speeches in Delhi, the police said they have not watched clips of these controversial speeches.

The court then played the three speeches — including that of Kapil Mishra’s that was delivered hours before the violence — so that the Delhi Police and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who also denied watching it, could see them.

During the hearing, Tushar Mehta had argued that the time is not “appropriate or conducive” for FIRs to be registered in cases of hate speech.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Talwant Singh took on record the assurance by special commissioner Praveer Ranjan that he will sit with the police commissioner today itself and view all video clips and take a conscious decision on lodging of FIRs.

The high court also issued notices to the parties concerned on the plea filed by the Centre seeking to be impleaded in the case.

The matter will be heard further on Thursday.

Meanwhile, 18 FIRs at various police stations had been registered and 106 people arrested under various sections over violence in northeast Delhi that erupted on Sunday, the Delhi Police said on Wednesday.

The Delhi Police spokesperson said that search for perpetrators of violence was on and CCTV footages were been scanned to identify the accused.

The official further said drones were used to monitor the areas. The police forces were also removing bricks and stones from rooftops of buildings in the area.

At least 27 people have lost their lives while over 250 have been injured in the deadliest violence in the national capital in decades after clashes between pro and anti-CAA protesters turned violent in North-East Delhi since last Sunday.

As per reports, 25 people died during treatment at the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in Shahdara area while two others succumbed to their injuries at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital near Delhi Gate.

The reports of fresh fatalities came hours after National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia visited the violence-hit areas separately.

In the violence that erupted after the supporters and opponents of CAA clashed, several bullets were fired from both sides which claimed many lives, including that of a Delhi Police head constable. On Wednesday, the body of an Intelligence Bureau staffer was fished out of a drain in Chand Bagh area. The IB staffer was identified as Ankit Sharma.

However, an unpredictable calm descended on the streets of Northeast Delhi on Wednesday where rioters unleashed a wave of violence, burning shops, showrooms, petrol pumps and killing people for 48 hours.