The Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that abjuring hate speech is a fundamental requisite for maintenance of communal harmony in the country.
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court over alleged "blatant hate speeches" calling for killing Muslims and their social and economic boycott delivered at rallies in different states, including Haryana where recent communal clashes claimed six lives.
The opposition Congress raised in the Rajya Sabha increased instances of hate speeches against minorities in the country, including controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand's call to Hindus to take up arms.
India has previously rejected the US state department's annual human rights report on the country, saying they continue to be based on "misinformation and flawed understanding".
It, however, asked the Delhi police to file its response on action taken in the hate speeches made here within two weeks.
A bench of Justices K M Joseph and J B Pardiwala was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared in the matter on behalf of the Maharashtra government, that the state undertakes that if the event is allowed to be held, it will be subject to the condition that 'nobody will make any hate speech and act in defiance of law or disturb the public order'.
A government counsel in the case said the special court accepted the appeal filed against Khan's sentence.
The Rajya Sabha secretariat has verified the signatures of 44 of the 55 MPs who had signed a notice to bring a motion for the removal of Allahabad high court Judge Shekhar Yadav over his 'hate speech' even as Kapil Sibal and nine others were yet to verify their signatures.
The Election Commission on Saturday cautioned political parties over hate speeches and said it is closely monitoring social media posts to ensure clean assembly polls in five states.
Held at Ved Niketan Dham in Haridwar from December 17-20, the Dharma Sansad was organised by Yati Narasimhanand Giri of the Juna Akhada, who is already under police scanner for making hate speeches and inciting violence against Muslims.
Seventy-six lawyers have written to Chief Justice N V Ramana, requesting him to take suo motu cognisance of hate speeches allegedly made at separate events organised in Delhi and Haridwar.
A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored investigation and prosecution in hate crimes related to the "continuous attack" on the personality of Prophet Mohammad and disparaging remarks by various people in different parts of the country attacking the very belief system of Muslims at large.
The Gujarat police have arrested Islamic preacher Mufti Salman Azhari from Mumbai in connection with an FIR registered against him for allegedly delivering a hate speech and are bringing him back to the state, an official said on Monday.
The Supreme Court on Monday took note of the submission of the Delhi police that the probe in a case of hate speeches made at religious assemblies in the national capital in 2021 was at an advanced stage, and asked them to place on record the charge sheet to be filed in the matter.
The voice of jailed Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi, facing charges of sedition and waging war against the nation for his alleged "hate speech," was on Tuesday recorded in Nizamabad town of Andhra Pradesh even as a court extended his judicial remand till February 26.
The top court said nowadays everything is driven by TRP (television rating point) and channels are competing with each other and creating a division in society.
Two courts in Haridwar have rejected the bail pleas of Yati Narsinghanand and Jitendra Narayan Tyagi who have been arrested in connection with the controversial Dharma Sansad where alleged hate speeches against Muslims were delivered.
'This is what you think of this court. Before we hear you (counsel for Mander), you see the allegations and respond to them'
Holding hate speeches of social, political and religious leaders based on religion, caste, region or ethnicity a "menace" to society, the Supreme Court asked law-enforcing agencies to book such persons on Wednesday.
FIRS were earlier registered in connection with the three-day Dharam Sansad that was held in Haridwar last December where hate speeches were made targeting members of a community.
As a hugely divisive debate raged over Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's "eradicate Sanatan Dharma" remark, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday seeking its direction for registration of an FIR against him.
Holding that the Constitution of India envisages a secular nation, the Supreme Court Friday directed the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to come down hard on hate speeches, promptly registering criminal cases against the culprits without waiting for a complaint to be filed.
The Congress on Sunday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'redistribution of wealth' remarks targeting the party, saying after facing 'disappointment' in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, the PM has now resorted to 'lies' and 'hate speech' to divert people from the real issues.
The petition was mentioned for urgent listing by senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the riots victims.
Hate speech content removal has increased over 15X on Facebook and Instagram since Facebook first began reporting it.
A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and A S Oka was informed by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who was appearing for the petitioners, that a similar event is scheduled on April 17 in Himachal Pradesh.
The Haridwar Police have added the names of Hindu leaders Yeti Narasimhanand and Sagar Sindhuraj in an FIR in connection with the case of alleged hate speech.
A court in Hyderabad on Wednesday acquitted All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi in the "hate speech" cases filed against him a decade ago.
The hate speech case is related to a Hindu Yuva Vahini event organised in Delhi under the leadership of Suresh Chavhanke, the editor of 'Sudarshan News', in December 2021.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh has been booked for allegedly delivering a hate speech at a rally in Mumbai on January 29, a police official said on Thursday.
With communal clashes claiming six lives in parts of Haryana close to Delhi, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered enhanced deployment of security personnel in sensitive areas and a crackdown on hate speech, but refused to stop the proposed rallies by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal in the National Capital Region.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi was on Wednesday acquitted by a local court in Pilibhit district in connection with a hate speech case lodged against him during Lok Sabha elections in 2009.
The Nizamabad police is on Friday interrogating Majlis-e-Ittehadul legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi, facing sedition charges for his alleged "hate speech" in December last year, police said.
Voicing displeasure over hate speech on TV news channels, the Supreme Court on Wednesday wanted to know why the government was a "mute spectator" and whether it intends to enact a law to curb hate speech, as recommended by the Law Commission.
"You should ask people behind Dharma Sansad about this.... We talk about taking the entire society along," BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, when asked about the matter at a press conference.
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested Bajrang Muni Das of Maharishi Shri Laxman Das Udasin ashram, days after he allegedly made a hate speech and issued a "rape threat" in Sitapur.
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea challenging the Allahabad high court judgment in a matter pertaining to the alleged hate speech of 2007 involving Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The chief minister said such speeches are on the rise across the country, especially on social media platforms.
Social media giant Facebook has for the first time disclosed the prevalence of hate speech on its platform, saying that out of every 10,000 content views in the third quarter, 10-11 were hate speech.
Controversy escalates in Goa over alleged objectionable remarks against St Francis Xavier, with protests and police complaints filed. The Congress demands the sacking of a minister, while the CM calls for maintaining communal harmony.
