‘Nodal Officers Appointed in 28 States & UTs to Combat Hate Speech’: Centre to SC

The central government has informed the Supreme Court that 28 States and Union Territories have appointed nodal officers in adherence to its guidelines aimed at preventing mob violence and lynching in the wake of hate speech incidents.

The Ministry of Home Affairs submitted a status report concerning a set of petitions that seek directives to curb and prevent hate speech.

In the status report, the Centre informed the apex court that the following states and UTs have designated nodal officers: Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, UT of Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

The Supreme Court has been addressing a series of petitions seeking interventions to address incidents of hate speech. In its order dated August 25, 2023, the top court sought responses from the State governments on the status of their compliance with the 2018 guidelines, which mandated the appointment of district-level nodal officers.

In 2018, the Supreme Court issued comprehensive guidelines for both the Centre and State governments to manage and prevent the rising occurrences of hate crimes, including mob violence and lynching. These guidelines encompassed expeditious trials, compensation for victims, stringent penalties, and disciplinary actions against lax law enforcement officials. The court emphasized the need to proactively address offenses such as hate crimes, cow vigilantism, and lynching incidents.

The directive included the appointment of nodal officers nationwide to monitor hate crimes, register FIRs, and ensure prompt legal action.