SC Declines Plea to Remove ‘Anti-National’ Slogans, Speeches From Social Media
The Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea over alleged anti-national posts, speeches and memes circulated on social media.
By Sakshi
New Delhi, September 23: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea seeking the removal of social media posts, speeches and memes that the petitioner described as "anti-national." The bench also declined to tag the plea with another pending matter concerning social media content. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant told the petitioner, "You can pursue your alternate remedies."
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi, and V Mohana rejected the arguments by attorney Barun Sinha, representing Ahmedabad-based petitioner Hitendra Kumar Parsottambhai Gadhiya. According to Sinha, Gadhiya was prompted to file a writ over the online content “against the sovereignty and integrity of India.”
"The petitioner has preferred the instant writ petition, being aggrieved by the display and circulation of anti-national slogans and speeches/statements against the sovereignty and integrity of India on social media platforms, including X Corp, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc,” read the plea.
It mentioned, “The security threats caused by unruly mobs across the country under the banner of the so-called ‘CJP’, coupled with the circulation of fake messages through SMS and various social media platforms, resulted in the national capital and the capitals of several states being held hostage.”
Fake News, Provocative Statements
The plea said dissemination of fake news and provocative statements and speeches posed a serious threat to communal harmony and public order, causing disruption and unrest in the country.
The plea stated, "To issue a writ of mandamus commanding the respondents to block/remove the social media posts published on social media platforms, namely, X Corp., YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which have a tendency to incite the general public against communal harmony, national integrity, and judicial independence, and to undermine the authority of constitutional functionaries through an uninformed mob."
In addition to social media companies, the plea had made the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology parties.
(Inputs From PTI)
