#HateSpeech—Supreme Court Talks Tough on Hate Speech

Journalist Shaheen Abdullah had filed a petition

New Delhi, 11 August: Taking a strong stance against hate speech across India, the Supreme Court of India on Friday ordered the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government to work on forming a committee to look into hate speech cases.

In the case of hate speeches and hate crimes, journalist Shaheen Abdullah had filed a petition in India’s Apex Court.

Abdullah had requested the Supreme Court of India to pass on directions to the BJP-led federal government to “crack down on blatant hate speeches.”

In recent times, especially since Modi’s ascendancy to power in May 2014, many radical Hindutva groups have called for killing members of a particular community and their economic and social boycott in rallies held across India, including in the Nuh area of Haryana, where communal clashes last week resulted in killing of six civilians.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti stressed there has to be harmony and comity between communities.

“There has to be harmony and comity between the communities. All the communities are responsible. The problem of hate speech is not good and nobody can accept it,” the SC Justices said.

They also instructed Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the BJP government, to seek instructions and reply about the committee by 18 August.