Supreme Court Rejects PIL On Anti-National Content, Social Media Removal Plea

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court turned away a PIL that wanted the Centre and social media platforms to identify, take down and block posts and memes linked to anti-national slogans and speeches.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also refused to tag the plea with another pending case concerning social media content. “You can pursue your alternate remedies,” the CJI.

The court also did not accept the submissions made by the petitioner’s counsel, PTI reported. The plea sought immediate relief against posts and messages that it alleged were against India’s sovereignty and integrity.

Plea And Parties

Lawyer Barun Sinha appeared for Ahmedabad-based petitioner Hitendra Kumar Parsottambhai Gadhiya.

“The petitioner has preferred the instant writ petition, being aggrieved by the display and circulation on social media platforms, including X Corp, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc, of anti-national slogans and speeches/statements against the sovereignty and integrity of India,” the plea said, PTI reported.

Besides social media companies, the plea also made the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology parties. It asked for a mandamus order requiring them to block or remove posts on X Corp., YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Claims In Petition

The petition linked the content in question to public order concerns.

“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,” the plea said, PTI reported.

The plea said the spread of fake news and provocative statements and speeches posed a serious threat to communal harmony and public order. It also sought directions: “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,” the plea said, PTI reported.