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Communalism

Hate-Speech Accused 3 Times More Successful In Elections

As many as 70 members of parliament and members of legislative assemblies have hate-speech cases pending against them, according to their own disclosures to the Election Commission of India.

Candidates with hate-speech cases against them were three times more successful in elections compared to those without a criminal record, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of self-disclosed crime records of candidates who have contested various elections nationwide over the past 12 years.

To put this data in perspective, over the past 12 years, 10% of candidates with no criminal cases won elections, while the figure was 20% for candidates with criminal cases of any kind.

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As many as 70 members of parliament and members of legislative assemblies have hate-speech cases pending against them, according to their own disclosures to the Election Commission of India.

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A season of hate speeches by politicians—including union ministers, MPs and MLAs—is underway across India, riven by inflamed, opposing views on nationalism and free speech. Some recent examples:

Union Ministers

Source: Twitter/Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti

Source: Twitter/Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Indian Express

Source: Facebook/Dr Ram Shankar Katheria

Source: Facebook/Dr Ram Shankar Katheria, IndiaExpress

Source: Facebook/Dr Ram Shankar Katheria

Source: Facebook/Dr Ram Shankar Katheria, The Hindu

Source: Twitter/Dr Sanjeev Balyan

Source: Twitter/Dr Sanjeev Balyan, Indian Express

Source: Twitter/Giriraj Singh

Source: Twitter/Giriraj Singh, Indian Express

Members of Parliament

Source: Twitter/Dr Sakshi Maharaj

Source: Twitter/Dr Sakshi Maharaj, The Hindu

Source: Twitter/Dr Sakshi Maharaj

Source: Twitter/Dr Sakshi Maharaj, IBN Live

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Source: Wikimedia Commons, India Today

Source: Facebook/Anant Kumar Hegde

Source: Facebook/Anant Kumar Hegde, Indian Express

Source: india.gov.in

Source: india.gov.in, Indian Express

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Source: Wikimedia Commons, 4 TV

Source: Facebook/Rak Kumar Saini

Source: Facebook/Rak Kumar Saini

Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs)

Source: samajwadiparty.in, India Today

Source: samajwadiparty.in, India Today

Source: Facebook/Kailash Choudhury, Indian Express

Source: Facebook/Kailash Choudhury, Indian Express

Source: Facebook/Sangeet Singh Som, Indian Express

Source: Facebook/Sangeet Singh Som, Indian Express

Source: Facebook/Akbar Owaisi MIM, 4 TV

Source: Facebook/Akbar Owaisi MIM, 4 TV

Source: Facebook/Amanatullah Khan, Youtube

Source: Facebook/Amanatullah Khan, Youtube

Political party chiefs

Source: BJP, India Today

Source: BJP, India Today

Source: BJP, Live Mint

Source: BJP, Live Mint

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Indian Express

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Indian Express

Source: Twitter/Dilip Ghosh, Huffington Post

Source: Twitter/Dilip Ghosh, Huffington Post

How “hate speech” is identified, numerous laws in force

“Hate speech” currently has no specific legal definition, although the Law Commission has been tasked by the Supreme Court to do just that.

There are several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that pertain to hate speech, including:

  • 153(A)—statements aimed at creating enmity related to communal, racial, linguistic, ethnic and descent;
  • 153(B)—statements against sovereignty;
  • 295(A)—statements aimed at hurting religious feelings;
  • 505(2)—statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes; and
  • Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act—promoting enmity between classes in connection with elections.

BJP has given tickets to most number of candidates with “hate-speech” cases

As many as 399 candidates with “hate-speech” cases have been fielded by political parties in various parliamentary and state assembly elections over the last 12 years. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leads the list with 97 candidates.

candidates with hate speech cases

How political parties violate their oath given to ECI at the time of registration

Each political party, at the time of registration, has to provide a self-sworn oath to the EC, declaring that the party will adhere to the principles of “socialism, secularism and democracy”.

A party must provide a copy of memorandum of rules, which should contain a specific provision—drawn from Representation of the People Act, 1951—that says “….and such memorandum or rules and regulations shall contain a specific provision that the association or body shall bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, and to the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy, and would uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.”

By giving tickets to candidates with “hate-speech” cases, political parties in a way violate their self-sworn oath to the EC.

An explanation of hate-speech laws

    • Section 153(A) of the Indian Penal Code: Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.
    • Section 153(B) of the Indian Penal Code: Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration.–(1) Whoever, by words either spoken or written or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise,-
    • Section 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code: Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.–Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of 6*[citizens of India], 7*[by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise] insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 8*[three years], or with fine, or with both.]
    • Section 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code: 2*[(2) Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or illwill between classes.–Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement or report containing rumour or alarming news with intent to create or promote, or which is likely to create or promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
    • Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951: Promoting enmity between classes in connection with election Any person who in connection with an election under this Act promotes or attempts to promote on grounds of religion, race, caste, community or language, feelings of enmity or hatred, between different classes of the citizens of India shall be punishable, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

(Manoj K is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and the founder of the Centre for Governance and Development. He has a special interest in transparency and accountability in governance and has spearheaded several projects on these subjects.)

Republished from IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, public-interest journalism non-profit.