SC directs Centre to form committee to look into hate speeches

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Friday, while hearing a plea over alleged blatant hate speech, directed the Centre to constitute a committee to look into hate speech complaints.

Stating that there has to be harmony and comity between communities, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti asked Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, to seek instructions and inform it about the committee by August 18.

“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 bench observed.

The top court was hearing a plea over alleged provocative speeches, calling for killing members of a particular community and their social and economic boycott at rallies in different states, including Haryana where recent communal clashes claimed six lives. The court also directed the petitioner to collate all the material, including video, and submit it to the nodal officers appointed in pursuance to its October 21, 2022 judgement.

The application, filed by journalist Shaheen Abdullah, has referred to the August 2 order of the apex court which said, “We hope and trust that the state governments and police will ensure that no hate speeches irrespective of the identity are made against any community and there is no physical violence or damage to the properties.”

Observing that hate speeches vitiate the atmosphere, the top court had said that wherever required, adequate police force or paramilitary force would be deployed and the authorities, including the police, will use CCTV cameras installed or make video recordings in all sensitive areas.

With inputs from PTI