New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a writ petition seeking recognition of alleged hate speech targeting the Brahmin community, described as “Brahmophobia”, as a punishable form of caste-based discrimination.

A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan permitted the petitioner, Mahalingam Balaji, who appeared in person, to withdraw the plea with liberty to approach an appropriate forum.

“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 The writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn,” the apex court recorded in its order.

During the hearing, the Justice Nagarathna-led Bench emphasised that hate speech, irrespective of the community targeted, must be discouraged and addressed through broader societal values.

"We don’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," it observed.

It also questioned the prayer seeking specific legal recognition and protection for a single community, indicating that the law must operate uniformly and cannot be tailored to address grievances of one group in isolation.

The petition had sought wide-ranging directions, including a declaration that hate speech against Brahmins constitutes a distinct form of caste-based discrimination warranting penal consequences, and directions to the Union and State governments to take prompt action against such instances across mainstream and social media platforms.

It further urged the top court to order a comprehensive probe by Central and state agencies into alleged coordinated domestic and foreign campaigns aimed at inciting caste-based hatred or violence against Brahmins. Among other reliefs, the petitioner sought the constitution of a high-level “truth and justice commission” to investigate historical events, including the 1948 Maharashtra Brahmin killings and the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, along with rehabilitative, economic, and educational measures for affected persons.

The plea also sought inclusion of chapters on alleged historical atrocities in school curricula, establishment of memorial museums, and declaration of January 19 as “Genocide Victims Solidarity Day”. Additionally, directions were sought for the disqualification of public officials engaging in caste-based hate speech, the formulation of codes of conduct for non-governmental organisations, the revision of educational material allegedly portraying Brahmins negatively, and the publication of a white paper on discrimination faced by the community.

Observing that constitutional values such as fraternity must guide society, the Supreme Court said such issues are better addressed through broader social and policy measures, leaving it open for the petitioner to pursue alternative remedies in accordance with law.

--IANS

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