Indian Penal Code (153)

153. Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot—if rioting be committed; if not
committed.—Whoever malignantly, or wantonly by doing anything which is illegal, gives provocation
to any person intending or knowing it to be likely that such provocation will cause the offence of
rioting to be committed, shall, if the offence of rioting be committed in consequence of such
provocation, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to
one year, or with fine, or with both; and if the offence of rioting be not committed, with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with
both.

1 [153A. Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, place of birth,
residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.—(1) Whoever—

(a) by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise,

promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language,
caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or
illwill between different religious, racials, language or regional groups or castes or communities, or
1. Subs. by Act 35 of 1969, s. 2, for section 153A. 42

(b) commits any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious,
racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, and which disturbs or is likely to
disturb the public tranquillity, 1 [or] 1

[(c) organizes any exercise, movement, drill or other similar activity intending that the participants in
such activity shall use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or knowing it to be likely that
the participants in such activity will use or be trained to use criminal force or violence, or
participates in such activity intending to use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or
knowing it to be likely that the participants in such activity will use or be trained to use criminal force
or violence, against any religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community and such
activity for any reason whatsoever causes or is likely to cause fear or alarm or a feeling of insecurity
amongst members of such religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community,]

shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

(2) Offence committed in place of worship, etc.—Whoever commits an offence specified in sub-
section (1) in any place of worship or in any assembly engaged in the performance of religious
worship or religious ceremonies, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to five
years and shall also be liable to fine.]

Section 499 in The Indian Penal Code

499. Defamation.—Whoever, by words either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs

or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person
intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm,
the reputation of such person, is said, except in the cases hereinafter expected, to defame
that person. Explanation 1.—It may amount to defamation to impute anything to a
deceased person, if the imputation would harm the reputation of that person if living, and
is intended to be hurtful to the feelings of his family or other near relatives. Explanation
2.—It may amount to defamation to make an imputation concerning a company or an
association or collection of persons as such. Explanation 3.—An imputation in the form
of an alternative or expressed ironically, may amount to defamation. Explanation 4.—No
imputation is said to harm a person’s reputation, unless that imputation directly or
indirectly, in the estimation of others, lowers the moral or intellectual character of that
person, or lowers the character of that person in respect of his caste or of his calling, or
lowers the credit of that person, or causes it to be believed that the body of that person is
in a loathsome state, or in a state generally considered as disgraceful. Illustrations