Supreme Court refuses to recognise ‘Brahmophobia’, rejects plea seeking action on anti-Brahmin hate speech

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking action against hate speeches targeting the upper caste Brahmin community.

The petition filed by an individual named Mahalingam Balaji had sought the recognition of hate speech targeting the Brahmin community as a punishable offence, describing the tendency as “Brahmophobia”.

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However, a bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed the plea after briefly hearing Balaji, who appeared before the court in person.

According to Live Law, the petitioner later sought permission to withdraw his plea, which was granted by the Supreme Court.

“The petitioner who has appeared in person has sought permission to withdraw this petition. His submission is placed on record. The writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn,” the final order read.

During the hearing, Justice Nagarathna said that the court doesn’t want hate speech against any community. “It depends on education, intellectual development, tolerance, and patience. Once everyone follows fraternity, automatically there will be no hate speech,” he said.

In his plea, the petitioner had sought the court’s directions to the Centre and state governments to formally recognise hate speeches against the Brahmin community as a punishable form of caste-based discrimination.

Describing the hate speeches against the community as “Brahmophobia”, he sought legal action against those spreading hatred against the community on social media.

He also sought the formation of a high-level commission to “investigate and acknowledge the 1948 Maharashtra Brahmin Genocide and the 1990 Kashmiri Pandit Genocide; and to recommend measures for rehabilitative, economic, and educational support to survivors and their descendants.”