Supreme Court on hate speeches: 'Register cases even if no complaint is made'

Warning that delay in registering hate speech cases will be treated as contempt, the Supreme Court on Friday noted that it is a serious offence which is capable of affecting the secular fabric of the country. The Apex court extended scope of its 2022 order, and directed all States/ UTs to register cases over hate speeches even if no complaint is made. A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna termed hate speeches a "serious offence capable of affecting secular fabric of the country". On Friday, the bench said, "The judges are apolitical and not concerned with Party A or Party B and the only thing they have in mind is the Constitution of India". The order passed by the Supreme Court in October 2022 for suo motu registration of FIR in hate speech cases was passed only against UP, Delhi, and Uttarakhand governments. "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.