Fight against hate speech must be on behalf of all, and not just limited to one’s own community: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India connected Friday (March 20, 2026) said the combat against hatred code indispensable beryllium connected behalf of all, and not conscionable constricted to one’s ain community. 

“Why should a peculiar assemblage travel up and accidental ‘protect my assemblage against hatred speech’? Rather, we should accidental ‘no 1 should indulge successful hatred speech’,” Justice B.V. Nagarathna, heading a Bench, observed orally.

Justice Nagarathna’s remark came portion proceeding a petition seeking the court’s involution against hatred code targeting the Brahmin community.

The tribunal recovered that the petitioner-in-person, Mahalingam Balaji, had adjacent coined a term, ‘Brahmophobia’, which helium said should beryllium treated arsenic caste-based favoritism and duly punished.

“Why should a peculiar assemblage travel up and accidental ‘protect my assemblage against hatred speech’? Rather, we should accidental ‘no 1 should indulge successful hatred speech’,” Justice Nagarathna observed orally.

Explained | What is ‘hate speech,’ and however is it treated successful Indian law?

Justice Nagarathna said the tribunal was against the improvement of hatred speech, whether it was targeted astatine 1 oregon the different community.

“We bash not privation hatred code against immoderate community. That would beryllium connected the level of education, intelligence development, tolerance and patience successful the society. Once everyone follows fraternity, past automatically determination would beryllium nary hatred speech,” Justice Nagarathna said.

Treat hatred code arsenic law tort, activists impulse Supreme Court

Mr. Balaji submitted that the petition was a effect of years of probe connected the “selective and inconsistent application” of the hatred code jurisprudence. He said hatred code has affected the community.

Justice Nagarathna advised the petitioner to “develop the capableness to not beryllium influenced by it”. “Many things, if ignored, volition slice away. If you react, it volition lone trigger different reaction,” Justice Nagarathna. The tribunal allowed the petitioner to retreat his plea.