[Hate Speech] Prepare chart showing States' compliance with SC judgments: Supreme Court to Home Ministry

The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Union Home Ministry to prepare a detailed chart outlining compliance with the general directions issued by it in the judgments of Shakti Vahini and Tehseen Poonawalla. .A Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, AS Oka and JB Pardiwala added that the chart should to specify remedial, preventive and corrective steps taken to prevent and address hate speech events."We'll reactivate those cases if they haven't been complied with. They're applicable all over [the country]," the Bench remarked..The judgment in Poonawalla had condemned incidents of mob lynching/violence in the country and asked the parliament to consider framing a special legislation to tackle the same. It had also outlined measures to be put in place, including dedicated nodal officers and a special task force, immediate registration of complaints and free legal to victims of mob violence etc.The judgment in Vahini laid out, among other steps to be taken by law-enforcement authorities, punitive measures to counter honour killings like providing security to the couple and family and moving them to a safe house.The Court gave the Union Home Ministry six weeks to prepare a chart on the contentions of the petitioners' counsel as well as state-wise compliance with these two judgments. The Chief Secretaries of States were directed to help with the same and provide the necessary information in two weeks..Senior Advocates Shyam Divan, Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Meenakshi Arora appeared for the petitioners. Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj represented the respondents. Arora submitted that someone must answer as to what steps were taken, alluding to the conduct of Dharam Sansads in States were hate speeches were delivered. "There have been incidents in some states despite Poonawalla, investigations going nowhere. Those states must come forward...Not being adversarial, but today the incidents reported are in public domain. One aspect is preventive measures, if we are bringing 10 such incidents after those judgments, it means nothing has been done."Sankaranarayanan said that the Home Ministry should also look into the implementation of a Law Commission report's recommendations in this regard. Justice Khanwilkar responded that these suggestions can be specified as information to be filled in the chart.ASG Nataraj submitted that a political colour is being given to the situation, even as the Central government and authorities have been taking all steps necessary to prevent hate speech. .The top court was hearing several pleas dealing with hate speech, and categorising and preventing incidents of such speech. In one of the public interest litigation (PIL) petitions before it, which sought a probe into the alleged hate speech at the Haridwar Dharam Sansad, the Court had in April issued notice to the Central and Uttarakhand governments.The PIL stated that the speeches made at the Haridwar Dharam Sansad "pose a grave threat not just to the unity and integrity of our country but also endanger the lives of millions of Muslim citizens."The plea highlighted how a video had gone viral in which a police officer was seen acknowledging his allegiance to the alleged offenders. This not only allows "delivery of hate speeches with impunity but also shows that the Police authorities are in fact hand in glove with the perpetrators of communal hate," the petition stated.Besides seeking an SIT probe, the plea sought directions to state authorities to comply with the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in Tehseen Poonawalla..[Follow our coverage of the hearing]