What is blasphemy? Why is the idea at odds with rule of law?

What is blasphemy? Why is the idea, which once had a historical context, at odds with the rule of law now in a democratic society?

The beheading of a Hindu tailor in Rajasthan’s Udaipur for a social media post supporting (now-suspended BJP spokesperson) Nupur Sharma over her “blasphemous” remarks against Prophet Muhammad is being treated by the central government as an act of terror.

The brutal killing and its filming by the two cleaver-wielding Muslim men, who were arrested quickly, have triggered massive outrage, also escalating the debate around the idea of blasphemy. Let's first understand what it is and its origin before moving to other questions.

Some religions or religion-based laws define blasphemy as acts or remarks that insult God or a sacred religious figure or object. The original idea behind treating blasphemy as a crime was to ensure complete reverence and protect religions as they evolved.

But soon, other motivations also emerged. From ancient to medieval times, rulers considered themselves undefiable. They sought to project religion and state as one to assume divinity with titles like Zil-e-Ilahi (the shadow of God). They used political powers and the premise of blasphemy to crush opposing voices.

More disturbingly, it’s not unusual for members of terror or extremist organisations, taught and trained in radicalisation centres, to call for the beheading of those accused of blasphemy or actually carry out the extra-judicial medieval punishment. And as we have seen, this is no longer confined to places like Syria.

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India is a democratic polity and society of multiple faiths governed by the only book that matters in the courts: the constitution.