SC refuses to entertain plea against ‘communal’ hashtags on Twitter
Team Udayavani, Apr 30, 2020, 7:42 PM IST
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a direction to the Centre and the Telangana police chief to restrain social networking site ‘Twitter’ from allowing trending ‘communal’ hastags linking Islam to spread of novel coronavirus in India.
A Hyderabad-based lawyer had sought a direction to the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Telangana’s Director General Of Police and the Commissioner Of Police to ask Twitter Inc “to stop illegal trending such as “#Islamiccoronavirusjihad, jamat, #Coronajihad, #Nizamuddinidiots, #TablighiJamatVirus” as they attach religion to the pandemic.
A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justice Aniruddha Bose, hearing the plea through video conferencing, took note of the submissions of lawyer Khaja Aijazuddin and said that he should seek remedies before the Telangana High Court.
“The petitioner prays for withdrawal of this petition with liberty to approach the Telangana High Court. Prayer is allowed. Accordingly, the writ petition is dismissed as withdrawn with the liberty aforesaid,” the apex court said in its order.
During the brief hearing, the bench had said that the court cannot stop any persons from saying some wrong things on phone or social media.
The lawyer said that he was not seeking a direction to stop anything but was praying for the direction to Twitter to drop hashtags as they can be “inflammatory” in nature.
The petition said trending hashtags “attaching the religion to pandemic disease which is done by social network users on Twitter was contrary to the Guidelines or advisory dated March 18, issued by the World Health Organization”.
It was also contrary to penal laws prevailing in India for want of manifestly insulting the religion by hurting the feelings of the followers, the plea said.
A religious congregation was conducted from March 13-15 in Delhi and it was organized by Tablighi Jamat at Nizamuddin. Reports suggest that the attendees went to various parts of the country and some of them were found to be infected and played parts in the spread of COVID-19.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
Air pollution: SC flags Delhi govt’s failure to implement GRAP-4 curbs on entry of trucks
Baba Siddique murder: Man held from Akola, 26th arrest in case
SC notice to Gyanvapi mosque committee on plea for ASI survey of ‘shivling’ area
Delhi court stays defamation case against CM Atishi
Sambhal Jama Masjid row: Friday prayers held peacefully amid tight security
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Air pollution: SC flags Delhi govt’s failure to implement GRAP-4 curbs on entry of trucks
Drugs worth Rs 6 crore seized in Bengaluru, five arrested
Siddaramaiah urges Nirmala Sitharaman to address NABARD’s loan cuts to farmers
Satwik-Chirag enter semifinals, Lakshya loses to Antonsen in China Masters
BJP stages protest against Congress govt in Karnataka over Waqf properties row
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.