SC refuses to entertain PIL for action against inflammatory speeches
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a PIL that sought urgent intervention against inflammatory speeches by public figures, alleging these statements endanger national unity, security and promote divisive ideologies.
Observing that there was a difference between hate speeches and wrong assertions, a bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar told the counsel for PIL petitioner ‘Hindu Sena Samiti’ that it was not inclined to issue notice on the petition.
"We are not inclined to entertain the present writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, which in fact refers to alleged references. Further, there is a difference between hate speech and wrong assertions…In case the petitioner has any grievance, they may raise the same in accordance with law,” the bench said.
The bench said it was not making observations on the merits of the case.
The PIL had urged the court to direct the formulation of guidelines to prevent provocative rhetoric and to mandate penal action against individuals making statements that could jeopardise public order and the nation’s sovereignty.
Advocates Kunwar Aditya Singh and Swatantra Rai, appearing for the petitioner, said the political leaders’ remarks often veer towards incitement, potentially sparking public unrest.
They cited recent comments by the political figures, including former Madhya Pradesh Minister Sajjan Singh Verma and Bharatiya Kisan Union spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, as instances where rhetoric had allegedly threatened public order.
In his remarks, Verma had allegedly warned of a potential popular uprising, drawing comparisons to the protests in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, while Tikait allegedly referenced the farmers' protests in a manner that suggested the possibility of violent insurrection.
The petition said the government has been inconsistent in enforcing legal restrictions on inflammatory speech.
It said the court, in its directions, had mandated prompt action against speech inciting unrest under some of the provisions of the IPC.
The 'Hindu Sena Samiti' had sought multiple reliefs, including the formulation of guidelines to regulate provocative speeches, penal action against violators and a directive for mandatory training programmes for politicians.
It also emphasised the importance of equal legal treatment, arguing that similar offences by civilians and journalists often see stringent actions from the state, while statements by political figures inciting unrest go largely unchecked.
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Four booked for tying 18-year-old to tree, beating him up in UP's Pratapgarh
Pratapgarh (UP) (PTI): Four people were booked here for the abduction and assault of a man who they allegedly tied to a tree and beat up, police said on Wednesday.
The incident, a video of which has gone viral, took place on Tuesday afternoon under the Kunda police station limits.
The FIR was registered on Wednesday evening based on a complaint from the victim's father.
According to Keshav Prasad Yadav, a resident of Mauli village, some people called his 18-year-old son Nikhil Yadav on the phone and asked him to come out of his house around 2.30 pm on Tuesday.
As he reached outside the village as instructed, the accused allegedly forced him into a car and took him towards the Tinpedwa forest area, where they tied him to a tree and assaulted, the complainant said.
The attackers also recorded a video of the incident and circulated it on social media. The purported video shows the men thrashing Nikhil one after another, while one of them is assumed to have recorded the act.
Kunda Station House Officer Manoj Pandey confirmed the incident and said efforts are underway to identify and arrest all the accused.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has shared the video on social media, describing the incident as reflective of a "dominant mindset" against the PDA (Pichda or Backward, Dalit, and Alpasankhyak or Minority), and demanded strict action against the accused.
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