107 sitting MPs, MLAs have hate speech cases against them, most from BJP: ADR report

After analysing the self declared affidavits, ADR and NEW have found that of the 107 candidates with declared hate speech cases, BJP has highest number of 42 lawmakers while Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 16 such candidates. It has also been revealed that 480 such candidates contested the elections in the last five years.

New Delhi:A total of 107 MPs and MLAs have hate speech cases against them, with BJP having maximum number of such politicians while 480 candidates with declared cases have contested for polls, a report by Delhi-based Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) stated.

The report has been published by ADR and NEW after analysing the self declared affidavits of 4,768 candidates, including both the incumbent MPs and MLAs and the unsuccessful candidates in the Assembly and Lok Sabha. It has been found that 33 sitting MPs and 74 sitting MLAs have declared cases of hate speech against them.

In the state-wise list, Uttar Pradesh ranks first with the highest number of 16 candidates (7 MPs and 6 MLAs) with hate speech cases, followed by Bihar with 12 candidates and Tamil Nadu and Telangana with nine candidates each. State having the least number of such candidates is Kerala with one MP.

Forty two lawmakers of BJP have hate speech cases. Next comes Congress with 15 candidates followed by AAP with seven candidates. DMK, Samajwadi Party and YSR Congress have five candidates each and RJD has four candidates.

Sections 124(A), 153(A), 152(B), 298, 295(A), 505(2) and 505(1) under the Indian Penal Code have bearing on hate speech as per the Law Commission. The ADR list of candidates with hate speech cases include names of ministers and MPs namely Amit Shah, Prahlad Joshi, Giriraj Singh, Raghav Chanda, Shashi Tharoor, Kanimozhi, Sanjay Raut, Asaduddin Owaisi, Dilip Ghosh, Nishikant Dubey and others.

The list of MLAs include chief ministers MK Stalin and K Chandrasekhar Rao, Tejashwi Yadav, Babul Supriyo and others. The report has further stated that a total of 480 candidates with declared cases of hate speech have contested Assembly and Lok/Rajya Sabha elections in the last five years.