India, April 30 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday reminded public figures of their duty to exercise restraint in public discourse, holding that hate speech is antithetical to the constitutional value of fraternity and strikes at the moral fabric of our Republic.

Dismissing a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking separate offences for hate speech and rumour-mongering, a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said: "In a constitutional democracy, public discourse carries with it a corresponding duty of restraint and responsibility. Individuals, public figures, and institutions alike must remain mindful that words have consequences, particularly in a society as diverse as ours."

The court held that existing pen...