Women Jump Into ‘Hate Speech' Debate In SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court may be wary of going down the slippery slope of having to play the super censor by allowing its pre-telecast ban on Sudarshan TV's ‘Bindas Bol’ programme to be a precedent, but the decision, and the observations that came with it, seem to have given an opening to those who want the judiciary to be the oversight on TV programming.

- Dhananjay Mahapatra

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and K M Joseph had last week while imposing a ban on a TV programme for vilifying Muslims, expressed doubts about the desirability of the court being dragged into the role of censor even as it pitched dignity of community into the pool of grounds on which to impose reasonable restrictions on free speech.

The balancing job appeared to act as different cues for two different sets who approached the court on Thursday and could set the stage for yet another debate on right to free speech which can draw in others also.