Why are you mute spectator to hate speech on TV channels: Supreme Court asks Modi govt

News Network
September 21, 2022

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New Delhi, Sept 21: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government as to why it was standing as a "mute spectator" to hate speeches while also expressing displeasure over mainstream television channels for running such shows and programmes.

The court asked where the country is heading to, as it put a poser to the Union government as to why it was treating the issue as trivial one.

"Hate speech poisons the very fabric of our country, it can't be permitted. Political parties will come and go but the nation and institution of free press will endure. We should have true freedom, and the government should come forward to take a stand," a bench of Justices K M Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy said.

Without naming TV channels, the court said freedom of press is important, "but we should know where to draw the line". Nowadays, anchors don't allow their guests to speak, run them down, mute them and become discourteous too, the bench said.

"All this is going in the name of freedom of speech. It is sad if nobody making them accountable," the bench said, adding the free speech also included the right of the viewers.

"Until institutional mechanism is put in place, people will continue like this. We should have a proper legal framework," the bench added.

The bench specifically asked the Centre if it is contemplating any legislation to control hate speech in terms of the Law Commission of India's 267 th report which suggested amendment to the IPC and Criminal Procedure Code.

The court was hearing a batch of PILs including by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay for framing a law to control hate speech and rumour mongering.

Deliberating upon the role of media including the Television Channels, the court referred to previous SC judgements in Vishakha and Tehseen Poonawalla cases to saying some guidelines could be framed after considering the Centre's response.

Citing the role of media, the court said, it is not to take orders from anyone if it is truly independent.

"You (media) should foster constitutional values, everybody is part of this republic. Everybody belongs to this one nation," the court said, adding hate speech can take place in various forms like running a slow campaign against a community.

The bench said the Union government should not take up the matter as adversarial and take it up as an opportunity to bring out some legislation.

After hearing Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj and advocate Sanjay Tyagi for the Union government and senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, and others, the court asked the Centre to file a response within two week.

The court asked Hegde to assist it by collating points from writ petitions filed in the matter.

The Centre, on its part, said following the top court's order of July 21, it had received response from only 14 states on the issue.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on November 23.

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News Network
December 22,2024

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday awarded Kuwait's highest honour ‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’. It is the 20th international award bestowed upon him by a country.

‘The Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’ is a knighthood order of Kuwait. It is awarded to Heads of State and foreign Sovereigns and members of foreign royal families in sign of friendship.

“I am honoured to be conferred the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Order by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. I dedicate this honour to the people of India and to the strong friendship between India and Kuwait,” PM Modi posted on X.

It has been previously awarded to foreign leaders like Bill Clinton, Prince Charles and George Bush.

Last month, PM Modi was conferred with the highest national award of Guyana, 'The Order of Excellence' during his visit to nation.

“I express my heartfelt gratitude to my friend President Irfaan Ali for conferring upon me Guyana's highest award. This is a living proof of your deep commitment to our relations which will continue to inspire us to move forward in every field,” PM Modi had said.

The prime minister was also conferred the "Dominica Award of Honour" by President Sylvanie Burton of Dominica.

"Honoured to be conferred with highest national award by Dominica. I dedicate it to the 140 crore people of India," Modi said in a post on X.

Guard of Honour 

The prime minister received a grand ceremonial welcome in Kuwait during his state visit to the Gulf nation. He was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the Bayan Palace, Kuwait. The Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah also present during the ceremony.

The details of the meeting were also shared by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs on X. "A special welcome on historic visit! PM @narendramodi arrives at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait to a ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour. Warmly received by HH Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, PM of Kuwait. Extensive talks with HH the Amir, Crown Prince and PM of Kuwait lie ahead."

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News Network
December 13,2024

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Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted bail to the prime accused actors Darshan Thoogudeepa Srinivas and Pavithra Gowda in the Renukaswmy murder case.

Justice S Vishwajith Shetty said that all the petitions have been allowed.

The other accused in the case, Nagaraju, Anu Kumar, Lakshman, Jagadeesh alias Jagga and R Pradoosh Rao have also been granted bail.

Renukaswamy was found dead on June 8, 2024. He was working in a medical shop in Chitradurga. The accused had kidnapped and allegedly murdered him in a shed at Pattanagere in R R Nagar police station limits of Bengaluru city for sending obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda.

The actor was arrested on June 11 this year. He was earlier lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Jail in Bengaluru, but when a photograph went viral showing him relaxing with some of the jail inmates, he was transferred to Ballari Central Jail.

Darshan is presently hospitalised for alleged back pain.

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News Network
December 18,2024

The Israeli prime minister says the regime's troops will remain stationed at a so-called “buffer zone” inside the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, seized following the fall of President Bashar al-Assad, until another arrangement is found that will "ensure the usurping regime’s security."

Benjamin Netanyahu made the comments on Tuesday from the summit of Mount Hermon, known as Jabal al-Shaykh in Arabic, the highest peak in the area — inside Syria, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the border with the strategic Golan Heights.

He was joined by the Israeli minister for military affairs, Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, head of the so-called internal security service Shin Bet, Ronen Bat, and Northern Command chief Major General Uri Gordin.

Netanyahu reiterated that Israel would remain in the area “until another arrangement can be found that guarantees Israel’s security.”

The prime minister said he had been on the same mountaintop 53 years ago as a soldier, but the summit’s importance to the Tel Aviv regime’s security has only increased given recent events.

It appeared to be the first time a sitting Israeli leader had set foot that far into Syrian territory.

For his part, Katz said Israeli forces would remain on the Syrian summit of Mount Hermon for “as long as necessary.”

He said, “We will stay here for as long as necessary,” asserting that deployment of Israeli troops to the strategically significant summit “strengthens security.”

“Mount Hermon's summit is Israel's eyes for identifying near and distant threats. From here, we can see Hezbollah positions in Lebanon to the right, and Damascus to the left,” Katz said.

Israeli military forces captured the UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights hours after armed groups took control of the Syrian capital of Damascus on December 8.

Israel has been widely and vehemently condemned over termination of the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria, and exploiting the chaos in the Arab nation in the wake of Assad’s downfall to make a land grab.

The buffer zone in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights was created by the United Nations after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.  A UN force of about 1,100 troops had patrolled the area since then.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said on Tuesday that the presence of Israeli soldiers, however long it lasts, violates the deal that established the buffer zone.

That agreement “needs to be respected, and occupation is occupation, whether it lasts a week, a month or a year, it remains occupation,” Dujarric pointed out.

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