Lok Sabha Question No. 351 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-04
Subject: Control  of Hate Speech
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Ms Iqra Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 351

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 04 TH  FEBRUARY, 2025/ MAGHA 15, 1946 (SAKA)

CONTROL OF HATE SPEECH

351.  MS IQRA CHOUDHARY:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Government to monitor and control the spread of misinformation and hate speech on social media platforms which are often linked to the incitement of mob violence;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  proposes/plans  to  provide  any  specific assistance, financial support or rehabilitation programmes for the victims of mob-lynching and their families and if so, the details of the implementation status thereof;
- (c) the number of cases that have been registered under Sections 103 or 117 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to mob-lynching till date;
- (d) the actions taken by the Ministry to ensure that the directive on moblynching by the Supreme Court on mob-lynching dated 17th July, 2018 are being followed by States; and
- (e)  the  details  of  districts  identified  as  areas  prone  to  mob-lynching  and violence as required under the directive, State-wise?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a) to (e): The Information Technology Act, 2000 provides for punishment against various offences considered as cyber crimes such as identity theft, cheating by personation, violation of privacy etc.

The  Information  Technology  (Intermediary  Guidelines  and  Digital  Media Ethics  Code)  Rules,  2021  (IT  Rules,  2021)  cast  specific  due  diligence obligations  on  intermediaries,  including  social  media  intermediaries  to make  reasonable  efforts  by  themselves  and  to  cause  the  users  of  their computer resource to not host, store, transmit, display or publish, etc. any such information that is categorised as unlawful under the IT Rules, 2021 and violative of any law for the time being in force, which inter-alia include misinformation or patently false information.

Further, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has conducted multiple consultations with industry stakeholders/ social media platforms  and  issued  advisories  through  which  the  intermediaries  were reminded about their due-diligence obligations outlined under the IT Rules, 2021.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes information on  crimes  in  its  publication  'Crime  in  India'.  The  published  reports  are available till the year 2022.

For  implementation  of  the  Judgment  dated  17.07.2018  of  the  Hon'ble Supreme  Court  in  Writ  Petition  (Civil)  No.  754  of  2016  in  the matter of

## L.S.US.Q.NO.351 FOR 04.02.2025

Tehseen Poonawalla vs. Union of India, advisories dated 23.07.2018 and 25.09.2018 were issued to the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations for taking measures to curb incidents of mob lynching in the  country.  State  Governments/  UT  Administrations  have  been  advised inter-alia to prepare a lynching/mob violence victim compensation scheme, with due regard to the nature of bodily injury, psychological injury and loss of earnings including loss of opportunities of employment and education and expenses  incurred  on  account  of  legal  and  medical  expenses.  The  said compensation scheme must also have a provision for interim relief to be paid to the victim(s) or to the next of kin of the deceased within a period of thirty days of the incident of mob violence/lynching.

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