Page 2 - Hate Speech

TV channel editor arrested over 'inflammatory' post on Nuh violence

A Sudarshan News editor has been arrested by police here over his alleged inflammatory posts on social media related to the communal violence in Nuh and adjoining districts in Haryana, an official said. Mukesh Kumar, the TV channel's managing editor, was arrested by the Gurugram Cyber Station East Police. Six people have been killed in the communal violence which erupted in Nuh on July 31 after a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was attacked.

Problem of hate speech not good and nobody can accept it: Supreme Court

Observing that there has to be harmony and comity between communities, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre to constitute a committee to look into the cases of hate speech. The top court was hearing a plea over alleged blatant hate 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. 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 also directed the petitioner to collate all the material, including video and submit to the nodal officers appointed in pursuance to its October 21, 2022 judgement.

Allahabad HC issues notice to SP leader Azam Khan in hate speech case

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday issued a notice to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in a 2019 hate speech case and directed that the record of the trial court as well as appellate court of Rampur be summoned. The high court was hearing an appeal filed by the Uttar Pradesh government challenging a Rampur court's order acquitting Khan in the case. After hearing the appeal, Justice Raj Beer Singh fixed September 27 as the next date of hearing in the case. Khan had allegedly made derogatory remarks against UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. A criminal case alleging hate speech was registered against him at Milak police station in Rampur. Subsequently, the former UP minister was convicted and given three years imprisonment in the said hate speech case by the trial court of Rampur in October 2022. As a result, he was disqualified as MLA from UP Assembly. Khan was convicted under sections 153A (promoting enmity between two groups) and 505 (stateme

SP leader Azam Khan gets two-year jail in another case of hate speech

An MP/MLA court here on Saturday sentenced senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan to two years imprisonment in a case of provocative speech during the 2019 general elections. Judge Shobhit Bansal convicted Khan and sentenced him to two years imprisonment. He also imposed a fine of Rs. 2500 on the former Uttar Pradesh minister. The case was registered against Khan during the 2019 Lok Sabha general election for allegedly making a provocative speech during a rally in the Dhamora area on April 8 that year. An MP-MLA court here had last year convicted Khan in another 2019 hate speech case which was registered after he addressed a public meeting in Khatanagaria village of the Milak Kotwali area. He was sentenced to three years of imprisonment, following which he was disqualified from the UP assembly. In May this year, a sessions court overturned the verdict of the lower court.

SC refuses to entertain plea for FIR for hate speeches in Uttarakhand

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a plea seeking to prevent a mahapanchayat' called by Hindu outfits in Uttarakhand and registration of an FIR against hate speeches allegedly targeting members of a particular community. The 'mahapanchayat' is slated to take place on Thursday. A vacation bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Ahsanuddin Amanullah asked advocate Sharukh Alam to avail remedy available in law and granted her liberty to approach the high court or any other authority concerned. "We are not short circuiting the legal process. There is a high court and district administration, you can approach them. Maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government, why do you think no action will be taken if matter is brought to its notice. You should have faith in the high court", the bench said. Alam stated that posters and letters have been written asking members of a particular community to leave Uttarkashi and despite their being a continuing mandam

UN chief calls for coordinated global action on disinformation, hate, AI

The proliferation of hate and lies on digital platforms and the threat that artificial intelligence can become an uncontrolled "monster" demand coordinated global action -- starting with a code of conduct for governments, tech companies and advertisers that promotes truth and protects human rights, the UN chief said Monday. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he plans to appoint a scientific advisory board in a few days, and an advisory board on artificial intelligence in September to prepare initiatives that the UN can take. He said he would react favourably to a new UN agency on artificial intelligence and suggested as a model the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is knowledge-based and has some regulatory powers. Guterres told a news conference he plans to consult widely on the just released principles for the UN Code of Conduct for Information Integrity on Digital Platforms, which he will issue before next year's UN Summit of the Future. He expressed hope that the c

Minister's hate speech about Muslims liable for prosecution

The SC, in a recent order, ruled that hate speech was a serious offence and directed all states and UTs to register hate speech cases even if no complaint is made by an individual

Market of hatred shut, shops of love opened in Karnataka: Rahul Gandhi

The party headquarters here witnessed a festive mood with workers bursting crackers, dancing on bhangra tunes and also distributing sweets

SC agrees to examine a plea against 'The Kerala Story' on May 15

The plea challenged the May 5 order passed by the high court declining any relief, saying there was nothing offensive against Islam or Muslims in the film

Bihar BJP leader moves court over 'derogatory' language against godman

A BJP leader in Bihar on Saturday lodged a complaint in a court against state president of the ruling RJD, Jagadanand Singh, and another political figure, for allegedly using derogatory language against godman Dhirendra Shastri. Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar baba', is scheduled to visit Patna next week for holding a five-day congregation. The petition was filed before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Muzaffarpur, by Anil Kumar Singh, a lawyer who is also associated with the BJP's legal cell. The petitioner has cited videos uploaded on YouTube a couple of days ago, wherein Jagadanand Singh and Pappu Yadav, a former RJD MP now heading his own outfit Jan Adhikar Party, allegedly made disparaging remarks about Shastri. The petitioner has contended that this was tantamount to hurting religious sentiments of Hindus, and sought trial of Jagadanand Singh and Yadav under relevant sections of the IPC. The petition, which will be taken up for hearing on May 16, has been filed

Freedom of speech cannot be 'armour for abuse': Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday said freedom of speech cannot be an "armour for abuse" and it should be used as a "hero" of harmony to defeat hatred. The former Union minister said the "merchants of communal votes" are involved in "nefarious designs" to damage the country's legacy of inclusivity, and such elements should be defeated with the strength of unity and brotherhood. Addressing the 'Samajik Samrasta Sammelan', organised by the Bharatiya Bauddh Sangh at the Vigyan Bhawan here on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Naqvi said people must use freedom of expression as a "hero" of harmony to defeat the "villain" of hatred. He said the constitutional freedom of speech cannot be an "armour for anarchy and abuse". Naqvi said Gautam Buddha was the "flag bearer" of social harmony and inclusive cultural commitment. His teachings and principles are an effective solution to problems of the world and the entire humanity, he added. Gautam Buddha was an apostle of social unit

Brazil orders Google to halt 'propaganda campaign' against speech bill

Brazil's Justice Ministry on Tuesday ordered Google to stop conducting what it called a propaganda campaign against Brazilian legislation aimed at curbing misinformation or face about USD 200,000 per hour in fines. The company later Tuesday took down an article the ministry had labelled propaganda, but it was not immediately clear if the big tech giant was in complete compliance with the agency's order. The ministry and Google did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. The legislation, hotly contested by big tech companies including Google, would establish fines and deadlines for removing misinformation and hate speech from social media and messaging apps, and require tech companies to file reports on transparency. President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva's government says it is essential to regulate online discourse following a recent spate of fatal school attacks that officials argue was motivated by hate speech and social media forums. The bill was sent to the lower .

Congress promises to take action on Bajrang Dal, PFI for hate speech

The Congress is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations such as Bajrang Dal and the Popular Front of India (PFI) "spreading hatred" amongst communities on grounds of caste and religion, the party said in its election manifesto for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls released on Tuesday. The action will include a 'ban' against such organisations. It also promised to "repeal all unjust laws and anti-people laws passed by the BJP government" within one year of coming to power. "The Congress is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations spreading hatred amongst communities on grounds of caste and religion." "We believe that law and Constitution are sacrosanct and cannot be violated by individuals and organisations like Bajrang Dal, PFI or others promoting enmity or hatred, whether among majority or minority communities. We will take decisive action as per law including imposing a ban on such organisations, .

Act swiftly against hate speech or face contempt, SC tells states

According to data collated by the National Crime Records Bureau, cases saw almost a sixfold increase between 2014 and 2020

Register cases even if no complaint is filed: Supreme Court on hate speech

Extending the scope of its 2022 order beyond three states, the Supreme Court on Friday directed all states and Union Territories to register cases against those making hate speeches even if no complaint has been made. A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna termed hate speeches a "serious offence capable of affecting secular fabric of the country". The bench said its October 21, 2022 order shall be made applicable irrespective of religion and warned any delay in registering cases will be treated as contempt of the court. "Where have we reached in the name of religion? What have we reduced religion to is really tragic," the apex court had then observed and directed Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Uttarakhand to crack down hard on those making hate speeches, calling them shocking for a country that is religion-neutral. Holding that the Constitution of India envisages a secular nation, the court had directed Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Delhi to promptly register criminal cases ..

Twitter will now label 'hateful' tweets, make them less discoverable

The labels are only implemented at "tweet level" and won't affect a user's account

SC seeks Delhi police's reply on Brinda Karat's plea for FIR against Thakur

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi police to respond to the plea of CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat challenging the Delhi High Court's order dismissing a petition against the trial court's refusal to order registration of an FIR against Union Minister Anurag Thakur and his BJP MP Pravesh Verma for their alleged hate speeches over anti-CAA protests. A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna issued the notice to the city police and sought its response within three weeks. During the hearing, the bench observed prima facie the magistrate's stand that sanction was required for lodging FIRs against the two BJP leaders was not correct. On June 13 last year, the Delhi High Court had dismissed the petition filed by CPI(M) leaders Brinda Karat and KM Tiwari against the two BJP MPs for their alleged hate speeches. The high court had refused to interfere with the trial court's order, saying under the law sanction is required to be obtained from the competent authority for registrati

Chhattisgarh: Notices issued to 8 BJP functionaries for 'hateful' posts

The Chhattisgarh police has issued notices to eight Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries in the Congress-ruled state for allegedly posting hateful content on social media, and asked them to appear before it, an official said. The notices were issued on Friday, he said. "In the notices, these BJP functionaries have been asked to appear before the police and present factual statements related to such posts," Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal said on Friday. The eight functionaries comprise BJP spokesperson Sanjay Shrivastava, IT cell in-charge of BJP Chhattisgarh's Twitter handle Sunil Pillai, treasurer Nandan Jain, BJP trade cell president Kedarnath Gupta, BJP Yuva Morcha Mandal president Yogi Sahu, divisional Yuva Morcha coordinator Kamal Sharma, DD Nagar BJP Yuva Morcha member Shubhankar and party worker Bittu Panigrahi. The Congress had, on April 12, filed a complaint with the Raipur police claiming that their social media posts were spreading hate. A

Contempt plea against Delhi police closed, SC takes note chargesheet filing

The Supreme Court on Thursday closed activist Tushar Gandhi's contempt plea against the Delhi Police after taking note of submissions that a charge sheet in a case of hate speeches made at religious assemblies in the national capital in 2021 was filed in a court here. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala considered the submissions of Additional Solicitor General K M Natraj, appearing for the Delhi Police, that the chrage sheet after conclusion of the investigation was filed in a court of the Metropolitan Magistrate here on April 4. In view of the filing of the charge sheet, it is not expedient in the interest of justice to continue with the present contempt petition, the bench said. Earlier, the Delhi Police had said the investigation into the case was at an advanced stage and a probe report will be filed shortly. The hate speech case is related to a Hindu Yuva Vahini event organised in Delhi under the leadership of Suresh Chavhanke, the editor

Karnataka Minister Munirathna booked for hate speech against Christians

Karnataka Minister Munirathna has been booked by the police for his alleged hate speech against Christians. A case was registered against the Minister on a complaint by a gazetted officer who charged him with promoting enmity among people. In an interview to a private news channel on March 31, Munirathna, Horticulture Minister in the Basavaraj Bommai government, had purportedly said, "Christians are converting people in this moment also. Conversion is maximum in the slums. In places where 1,400 people are there, 400 have been converted. If they come (for conversion) then kick them out or give complaint at the police station." The Rajarajeshwarinagar police booked the BJP MLA from RR Nagar under Section 117 (abetting Commission of offence), 153A (promoting enmity between various groups or religion) of the Indian Penal Code and 125 of People's Representation Act (Promoting enmity between classes in connection with election).