Calling for the safeguarding of India’s secular nature, the Supreme Court on Friday issued strict directives to the governments of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to rein in on hate speeches and take suo motu action against them, warning that failure to act will be seen as contempt of court, reported Live Law.
The division bench of Justices KM Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy further asked the respective governments to submit a report detailing measures taken by them against hate speeches that have been delivered within their jurisdiction.
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The apex court directed the authorities to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and book the perpetrators, irrespective of their religion, under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including Section 153A, 153B, 295A and 506. Failure to do so will also attract action against the errant government officials, the court said.
The bench was hearing a petition urging the court to step in to check the “growing menace of targeting and terrorizing Muslim Community in India,” reported Live Law.
Arguing before the court, petitioner Shaheen Abdullah’s legal counsel Kapil Sibal, citing BJP MP Parvesh Verma’s recent speech calling for economic boycott of a minority community in Delhi, said that neither the court nor the administration takes any serious action, and only asks for status reports.
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The bench further asked if individuals from the Muslim community are also engaging in hate speeches to which, Sibal said that everyone guilty of making hate speeches should be held accountable, reported Live Law. The bench further called the claims made in the petition as “very disturbing”.
The court further observed that even after expressing repeated concerns, cases have multiplied while the authorities take no action.