The plea in the Supreme Court seeks credible probes into hate crimes and speeches. (File)
New Delhi:
Two days after the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticised India over its human rights record and growing hate speeches during a three-day visit, the Supreme Court on Friday made some of its strongest comments yet on the subject.
“This is the 21st century. Where have we reached in the name of religion?” the court said, hearing a petition on hate speeches. It said the state of affairs in India was “shocking for a country that is supposed to be religion-neutral”.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court had sought responses from the centre and the states to a plea requesting an urgent intervention to stop the “growing menace of targeting and terrorizing (of) the Muslim Community in India”.
Petitioner Shaheen Abdullah had moved the top court also seeking direction to the centre and states to initiate independent, credible and impartial probe into the incidents of hate crimes and hate speeches across the country.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, had said something needs to be done to tackle the problem and action must be taken against those making hate speeches or indulging in hate crimes.
In his petition, Mr Abdullah has also sought invoking the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and other stringent provisions to curb hate crimes and hate speeches.
He has said the Muslim community is being “targeted and terrorised” by the participation of the members of the ruling political party in delivering the hate speeches.
On Wednesday, in a rare rebuke, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres red-flagged growing hate speeches in the country.
“As an elected member of the Human Rights Council, India has a responsibility to shape global human rights, and to protect and promote the rights of all individuals, including members of minority communities,” Mr Guterres said in a speech in Mumbai.
Though he praised India’s achievements 75 years after leaving British rule, Mr Guterres also said that the understanding that “diversity is a richness… is not a guarantee”.
Citing Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, Mr Guterres said their values need to be guarded by “condemning hate speech unequivocally”.
India must do this “by protecting the rights and freedoms of journalists, human rights activists, students and academics. And by ensuring the continued independence of India’s judiciary”, he said, adding that “much more needs to be done to advance gender equality and women’s rights”.
