🔆 Judicial Sensitivity to Sentiments: A Regressive Shift 📍 Key Concern ✅ Courts are increasingly prioritizing emotional hurt over constitutionally protected free speech, misinterpreting Article 19(1)(a). 📍 Disturbing Trends ✅ Judgments now equate emotive speech with incitement, promoting censorship over constitutional protection. ✅ Judiciary’s role is shifting from safeguarding rights to policing expression. 📍 Examples Cited ✅ Allahabad HC on criticising PM Modi. ✅ FIRs over historical or political opinions (e.g. war posts). ✅ Relief denied to opposition leader over military remarks. 📍 Core Argument ✅ Encouraging apologies, deference & legal scrutiny for speech undermines democracy, empowering majoritarianism. ✅ Freedom must protect offensive speech too — else it’s not freedom. #gs2 #polity_governance