The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the administration in Chhattisgarh's Raipur and Maharashtra's Yavatmal districts to take appropriate steps to prevent any incitement of violence or hate speech at rallies to be held by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader T Raja Singh. [Shaheen Abdullah v. Union of India and ors].Though the Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta accepted that some the speeches delivered previously by Singh were "certainly objectionable," it said that no pre-emptive action can be taken for his future speeches.The Court also said he has not been made a party to the case before it.Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the petitioner, in response said that Singh can be made a party to the case and that the Court cannot allow these things to continue to happen.However, Justice Khanna said,
"Let it be. By the time it is done, the event will be over."The Court remarked that the government has to take steps. It added,"No incitement to violence or hate speech can be permitted. We accordingly direct the nodal officer to take appropriate action. The DMs and SPs of Raipur and Yavatmal to take notice of the allegations and take appropriate steps as advised and required."It also urged the police to install CCTV cameras to ensure that perpetrators can be apprehended.The matter was adjourned to February 5.
The Supreme Court was hearing a batch of pleas concerning seeking steps be taken to curb hate speech incidents.While hearing the matter in August last year, the Bench had remarked that calls for boycotts against the Muslim community were unnaceptable.In April 2023, it had extended the scope of a previous order directing the Uttar Pradesh Police to take suo motu action in cases of hate speech without looking at the religion of the offenders to all states and union territories across the country.Back in October 2022, the Court had passed an order stating that non-compliance of any directions would invite contempt proceedings. This resulted in contempt petitions being filed before the Court in the current batch of petitions. Sibal argued today,
"So many FIRs are lodged and still it (hate speech) continues. See the kind of venom and hate. And guidelines will not help unless some steps are directed. Only on our insistence the FIR is filed."In July 2022, the top court had directed the Union Home Ministry to prepare a detailed chart outlining the compliance of states with the general directions issued by it in the judgments of Shakti Vahini and Tehseen Poonawalla.
In September that year, the apex court had taken a very dim view of the functioning of mainstream television news channels in the country, stating that they often give space for hate speech and then escape without any sanctions. Further, it observed that politicians benefit the most when their hate speech gets a platform.During an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court had also frowned upon the functioning of the National Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA), observing that television channels in India are creating divisions in society since they are driven by agendas and compete to sensationalise news.
Pertinently, the apex court had lamented the fall in standards of political discourse in the country. It had remarked that great orators like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee are long gone, and hate speeches by fringe elements have instead come to occupy their space.
TAGS: Supreme Court Hate Speech Incitement Nodal Officer DMs
