SC to hear plea against 'hate speech' event scheduled on Feb 5 in Mumbai

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a plea seeking to prohibit an alleged hate speech event scheduled to be held on February 5 in Mumbai.

A bench of Justice K M Joseph, Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Hrishikesh Roy said it will seek instructions from Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and subject to his approval post the matter for hearing on Friday.

"We are with you on this, but understand that the Supreme Court cannot be triggered every time there is a rally notified. We have already passed an order which is clear enough. Just imagine rallies happening all across the country. Every time there will be an application before the Supreme Court. How can that be feasible?

"You ask us to be embarrassed again and again by getting an order. We have passed so many orders yet nobody is taking action. The Supreme Court should not be asked to pass an order on an event to event basis," the bench observed.

The observation came after a lawyer mentioned the matter, saying the issue needs urgent hearing against the alleged hate speech rally in Mumbai to be organised by the Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha.

She submitted that a similar rally was organised a few days ago in which 10,000 people participated and gave a call to boycott Muslim communities economically and socially.

On continuous persistence of the lawyer, the court asked her to serve a copy of the application to the counsel for Maharashtra.

"Serve a copy on the State, we will list it tomorrow subject to orders of the CJI. Only this case, not the entire batch," the bench said.

Holding that the Constitution of India envisages a secular nation, the top court on October 21 last year directed the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to come down hard on hate speeches, promptly registering criminal cases against the culprits without waiting for a complaint to be filed.

The court had also warned that any delay on the part of the administration in taking action on this "very serious issue" would invite the court's contempt.