SC Judge: Threatening Students for Questioning Is Unconstitutional

Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan declared on Sunday that students cannot be threatened with punitive action for expressing different viewpoints or asking questions, stating that such threats are unconstitutional and a misuse of power. The remarks were delivered during the convocation address at the 13th Convocation of National Law University Delhi for its postgraduate programmes.

Justice Bhuyan emphasized that the right to question is a fundamental aspect of citizenship and constitutional responsibility, not an act of defiance. "In a democracy, the right to question is not an act of defiance. It is an essential expression of citizenship, liberty and constitutional responsibility," he said. "When students express a different point of view, when students ask questions, they cannot be threatened. They cannot be threatened with punitive action. That is unconstitutional. That is misuse of power and office."

The judge's address focused on the critical role of dissent, tolerance, and independent thought within a constitutional democracy, particularly in educational institutions. He argued that the Indian Constitution does not seek uniformity of thought but creates a framework...