"Hate Speech Unacceptable, Need To Stop It": India's Supreme Court

The Supreme Court ordered the Centre to work on forming a committee to look into hate speech cases across the country.

The Supreme Court ordered the Centre to work on forming a committee to look into hate speech cases across the country.

A petition by journalist Shaheen Abdullah requested the Supreme Court to give a direction to the Centre to crack down on "blatant hate speeches", which called for killing members of a community and their economic and social boycott in rallies held across the country, including in Haryana, where communal clashes last week killed six.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said there has to be harmony and comity between communities.

"There has to be harmony and comity between the communities. All the communities are responsible. The problem of hate speech is not good and nobody can accept it," the Supreme Court said.

The court told Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, to seek instructions and reply about the committee by August 18.

The bench also told the petitioner to collate all the material, including videos, and give them to nodal officers. The next hearing in on August 18.