Supreme Court Rules Against Vilification of Communities by Public Figures and Others

The Supreme Court, through Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, emphasized that it is constitutionally impermissible for anyone, including public figures in high constitutional offices, to vilify or denigrate any community based on religion, caste, language, or region via speeches, memes, cartoons, or visual arts. This ruling arose from a plea challenging the Netflix film 'Ghooskhor Pandat', whose title was changed following objections. The court highlighted fraternity as a constitutional duty and affirmed freedom of expression with reasonable restrictions under Article 19.