Indian Supreme Court Urges Action against Anti-Muslim Hate
Supreme Court orders police chiefs of two states and capital New Delhi to take action against hate speeches, "irrespective of the religion that the maker of the speech or the person who commit such act belongs to."
India's secular character must be preserved and protected, and states must take action to stop hate speeches, the country's top court has said, in response to a petition asking for action on such utterances against the Muslim community.
A two-judge bench of the country's Supreme Court on Friday ordered police chiefs of two states and the national capital of Delhi to take action against hate speeches, "irrespective of the religion that the maker of the speech or the person who commit such act belongs to."
The petition, filed by a Muslim man, asked the court to direct state authorities to take action against what he said were widespread hate speeches against the Muslim community.
"The complaint of the petitioner is one of despondency and angst," justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy said in their interim order on Friday.
Earlier this week, UN chief Antonio Guterres chided India over its human rights record.
"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," Guterres said in a speech in Mumbai during a visit on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party and allies are accused by critics and opposition leaders of marginalising the country's Muslims, but the party strongly denies the claim and says it treats people of all religions equally.
Since Modi came to power in 2014 in the Hindu-majority nation, campaigners say persecution and hate speech have accelerated against religious minorities, especially India's 200-million-strong Muslim minority.
Critics say Modi has failed to intervene and stop rising incidents of attacks on minorities, misuse of religion by Hindu hardliners, and intolerance against dissent in the country.
Source: TRT World
