The Supreme Court agreed to hear on May 9 a petition filed by the Jamait Ulama-i-Hind for action against the repeated instances of hate speeches against Muslims across the country.
A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar said the court would examine the plea by Jamait national president Maulana Mahmood A. Madani, who said hate speech feeds into a system of political and social discrimination and has a cumulative effect on the dignity of a group/community.
Jamait has narrated various instances of derogatory remarks and calls for violence against the community since 2018.
The petition cited inflammatory speeches made by Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati, priest of Dasna temple, the anti-Muslim slogans made at the Jantar Mantar rally, the campaign and protests against Friday ‘namaz’ in Gurugram where protesters disrupted congregations at designated plots by spreading cow dung and issuing threatening slogans, rallies held in Tripura in which derogatory slogans were made against the Prophet, speeches made by Suraj Pal Amu and Santhosh Thammaiah, etc.
Arrests by U.P. police
The petitioners, according to the statement, also highlighted a report of the Uttar Pradesh police arresting over 100 Muslims for holding a protest against the remarks of Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati.
Claiming that the police authorities did not take any action against the instances of anti-Muslim hate speeches, the petitioners voiced concerns about law enforcement agencies “succumbing to non-state actors” and failing to protect the rights of the minorities.
Seeking immediate judicial intervention, the petitioners have highlighted that derogatory remarks and abusive speeches against Muslims have resulted in violence and even the killing of individuals.
