New Delhi, April 28: In a major development, the Supreme Court of India on Friday directed two states and one union territory to take suo motu action against cases involving hate speech.
Hitting out at inaction, the Supreme Court extended the scope of its previous order (2022), which directed the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand Police to take suo motu action against hate speech cases. The Apex Court directed all states and union territories to register cases over hate speech even when no complaint is registered. Sounding a warning, the court observed that delays in filing cases will be treated as “contempt of court.â€
According to the top court, hate speech is “capable of affecting the secular fabric†of India.
The SC was hearing a series of petitions on hate speech crimes. The bench had earlier sought a response from the state of Maharashtra on a contempt petition filed alleging failure to take action against hate speeches, media channels in Delhi reported.