Supreme Court to examine IPC provisions on hate speech
Swami said for making this speech FIR had been filed against him and the court had issued summons for his appearance.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine a petition filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swami challenging certain provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) relating to hate speech and seeking a declaration that they are unconstitutional as they violated freedom of speech and expression.
A three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud directed the Centre to file its response and posted the matter for further final hearing after eight weeks.
In his petition, Dr Swami said during a speech in Assam in March 2015 he had said, “Islam permits one to demolish a mosque for purposes like road building, apartment construction etc. or simply to reconstruct it elsewhere. On 15.3.2015, the petitioner made a speech to a group of intellectuals at Kaziranga University, wherein among other concerns, he stated simply that Islam permits such demolition and such demolition do take place in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.”
Dr Swami said for making this speech First Information Reports (FIR) had been filed against him and the court had issued summons for his appearance. Hence the urgency for filing this writ petition.