New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said that hate speech is a serious crime and has directed the state governments to file a case even if there is no complaint regarding such speech.
Various cases have been filed in the Supreme Court regarding hate speech. Those cases, Judges K.M. Joseph, B.V. Nagaratna session heard today. He then said, “Hate speech is a serious crime. State governments should register cases even if there is no complaint in this regard. Delay in registering cases will be treated as contempt of court.
A case should be registered against the speaker of hate speech irrespective of his religion. It is very important that the views expressed in the Preamble of the Constitution should be preserved. Hate speech affects the secular fabric of the country. This increases anxiety and fear, especially among minorities. To prevent this, the state governments should appoint a monitoring officer for each district,” they said. Further, the judges adjourned the next hearing of the case to May 12.
