At the 19th Jaipur Literature Festival, a heated debate on whether “Freedom of speech is a dangerous idea” sparked sharp exchanges among prominent speakers. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi argued that unrestricted free speech often leads to irresponsibility, citing the spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic and the posting of explicit images as crimes rather than expression. Quoting Jawaharlal Nehru, she emphasized that while theoretically absolute, free speech proves dangerous in practice, fueling hate speech and long-term societal harm in India.

NCP spokesperson Anish Gawande strongly supported the motion, highlighting how free speech has become a privilege for the powerful few. He pointed to prolonged pre-trial detentions like that of Umar Khalid and mob lynchings targeting Muslims, where silence is imposed on the marginalized. Gawande remarked that freedom of speech, once a weapon against authority, now serves the elite. He singled out Elon Musk as today’s “patron of freedom of speech,” sarcastically noting how it enables sexist remarks by parliamentarians, bullying of minority MPs, and inflammatory slogans like “Goli Maaro Saalo Ko” on public streets—rights enjoyed selectively by a few.

Former Rajya Sabha MP Pawan K Verma echoed concerns, describing free speech as a “monopoly on power” in the current climate. He questioned the fairness when the ruling party can promote controversial ideas under its guise, but critics face sedition charges, ED probes, or anti-national labels. British historian Fara Dabhoiwala observed that free speech empowers the voiceless but turns into a weapon when wielded by the powerful, exacerbated by modern media.

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Opposing the motion, British poet Alice Oswald asked who would regulate power without free speech, warning against labeling dissent as terrorism. Journalist Ian Hislop quipped that absolute free speech exists mainly for figures like Donald Trump, yet journalism relies on the ideal. Former diplomats Navtej Sarna and Navdeep Suri also defended safeguards over outright curbs.

The session underscored deep divisions on balancing free expression with responsibility in India’s evolving democratic landscape, with Musk’s X platform becoming an unexpected flashpoint in the critique.

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