The debate over free speech, abusive political remarks and the use of criminal law took a dramatic turn after Congress workers in Karnataka filed FIRs against social media users over allegedly objectionable posts targeting Rahul Gandhi. The development came even as a nationwide debate continued over the FIR lodged against a woman whose remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the anti-paper leak protests went viral. On NDTV’s India Matters, the spotlight shifted to a larger question: should politicians be using criminal law to respond to offensive speech at all?