Hate politics in our country surfaces mainly during election time. In a country which lives on razor-edge social relations, inflammatory speeches are just the right dose for stoking communal passions. If there are elections, the degree of such hate speeches increases manifold. The Shiv Sena was the trend-setter in Maharashtra and many saffron outfits too have contributed to this divisive politics. It was LK Advani’s rath yatra which triggered communal politics and the country did not recover from that phase yet. The BJP skillfully raised the Ram temple issue whenever it was bereft of any agenda on its list.

After that, the politics of hate has been the chief instrument of expansion for the Hindutva forces. Varun Gandhi, BJP’s latest Hindutva posterboy is also using the same tool of hate. This is not the first time that this bogey of hate is being directed towards the Muslim community. Varun’s peer in the saffron brigade have been saying the same thing for years.The question that arises is, what role does law play, when politics divides people in different groups on religious basis or regional basis?

The Indian Penal Code has a number of provisions penalising spiteful speeches. Sections 153A and B as also Sections 295A and 505 criminalise writings and speeches made against a religious community or against their religion.

The nearest is Section 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which punishes with fine and imprisonment up to 3 years speech, writings, or signs which ‘‘with deliberate and malicious intention’’ insult the religion or the religious beliefs of any class of citizens. Section 153(a) of the Indian Penal Code states that anyone whose words, “whether spoken or written,” promote “disharmony” or “feelings of enmity” between different communities may face up to three years in prison. A related provision is Section 153B which proscribes imputations that any class of persons cannot be loyal citizens because they are members of a religious group or community.But the question arises here is: How effective are these laws?

We need stringent laws which can ensure that the likes of Varun Gandhi, Togadia, Bal Thackrey, Raj Thackrey, Sadhvi Ritambha etc. do not get away despite their anti-national politics and utterances. It must debar him from election process forever. The rule of law should prevail to give confidence oppressed citizens of the nation.