In Brief
A Congress MP recited a poem at a wedding function calling for non-violent resistance to injustice with love. Gujarat Police registered an FIR against him under hate speech and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Supreme Court quashed the FIR, holding that free speech is integral to a healthy democracy. The poem does not refer to any religion or community; it promotes non-violence and sacrifice for justice. Courts must apply standards of reasonable persons, not weak-minded ones who perceive danger in every viewpoint. Police must conduct preliminary inquiry before registering FIRs in speech-based cases to protect constitutional rights. The High Court should have quashed the FIR at the threshold itself.
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