NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday said the freedom of speech and expression had to be understood by police after 75 years of the Constitution as it reserved the verdict on a plea of Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi to quash an FIR against him for allegedly sharing a provocative song.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan outlined the importance of preserving the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 (1) (a). “When it comes to the freedom of speech and expression, it has to be preserved,” the bench held.
He said, “Some sensitivity has to be shown by the police before registering an FIR. They must at least read and understand (the article of the Constitution). Seventy-five years after the Constitution, freedom of speech and expression has to be understood by the police.”
Justice Oka said, “The poem is not against any religion. This indirectly says even if somebody indulges in violence, we will not indulge in violence. It is not against any particular community.”