Birla urges lawmakers to uphold dignity of legislatures, warns against misuse of free speech
He further observed: “Legislators must remember that their language, thoughts, and expressions are the strength of democracy.”
He further observed: “Legislators must remember that their language, thoughts, and expressions are the strength of democracy.”
The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed the criminal proceedings initiated by Gujarat police against Congress Rajya Sabha member Imran Pratapgarhi over a social media post with a poem 'Ae khoon ke pyase baat suno' playing in the background.
The court said it would be appreciable, if free speech encourages dispassionate, and healthy public debates, and helps society to move forward.
If a person is prejudiced by the utterances/speech/expression including hate speech, by a public functionary or otherwise, Justice Nagarathna said that such a person may take recourse to criminal and civil laws for appropriate remedies
Delhi High Court on Friday refused to get involved in the Twitter suspension case and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on a woman who sought to implead Elon Musk.
Musk had long been advocating free speech on the platform, creating apprehensions for many as they fear the site will be left without regulations.
When free-market elephants like Musk take charge of major mass-media outlets, concerns are raised about the direction of free speech, which remains the essential ingredient of democratic participation.
A bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra asked Senior Advocate Rajeev Dhavan, representing Bhushan, to suggest ways to resolve this matter.
A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court was hearing the plea whether the fundamental right to free speech can be curtailed on sensitive matters under probe.
The laws have sparked outrage from rights groups, who fear they could be used to stifle online discussion, tech companies with major bases in the financial hub, and some journalists' organisations.
