New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday took a serious note of hate speeches and said that the moment politics and religion are separated and leaders stop using religion in politics, such speeches will end. The court said that hate speeches are being made by petty elements and that people should restrain themselves.
Said this by mentioning former PM Nehru and Vajpayee
Justice K. M. Joseph and Justice Nagaratna quoted the speeches of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the bench said that people used to gather from far-off places to listen to their speeches. The bench wondered how courts can initiate contempt proceedings against so many people and why the people of India cannot take a pledge not to humiliate other citizens or communities.
The bench, while hearing contempt petitions against various state authorities for failing to register FIRs against those making hate speeches, said, “Everyday petty element is giving speeches on TV and in public forums to defame others.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also drew the bench’s attention to the derogatory speech given by a person in Kerala against a particular community and said that petitioner Shaheen Abdullah has selectively referred to incidents of hate speech in the country.
