The Supreme Court on Friday proclaimed that hate speeches will be addressed in accordance with the law and treated equally, regardless of their source.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti’s remark in response to a report of hate speech during a rally organized by the Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala.
A lawyer apprised the court that in a rally conducted by Indian Union Muslim League, a slogan like “death to Hindus” was raised.
The court underscored that it whether be one side regardless of the side, all instances must be treated alike.
While considering an application related to calls for a Muslim boycott following the Nuh incident, the court adjourned the matter to August 25, expressing its hope for compliance with the guidelines laid down by Tehseen Poonawalla.
The application stemmed from several incidents, including appeals for a Muslim boycott and mosque closures in Gurugram. It sought appropriate action against individuals inciting communal discord.
As outlined in the application, after the Nuh violence, over 27 rallies were held across various states where explicit hate speeches advocating the killing and social and economic boycott of Muslims were openly delivered.
The application cited numerous rallies spanning August 1 to August 7 and included references to transcripts and videos. It also highlighted instances where residents and business owners were warned of potential boycotts if they continued to employ or retain Muslim personnel within two days.
These rallies took place in various locations within Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
The application submitted that “Such rallies that demonize communities and openly call for violence and killing of people are not limited in terms of their impact to just those areas that are presently dealing with communal tensions but will inevitably lead to communal disharmony and violence of an unfathomable scale across the country.”
Additionally, the application conveyed that the existing volatile situation in these regions has engendered a legitimate concern about communal persecution, necessitating the immediate attention of the apex court.
The application sought to instruct the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, the Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, the Director General of Police, Haryana, and other relevant authorities to prevent rallies featuring hate speeches.
The plea proposed that if the concerned authorities fail to impede the mentioned protests, they must provide explanations about their actions. Furthermore, the application urged swift and appropriate action against police officials who attended these demonstrations and neglected measures to prevent the propagation of hate speech.
