Supreme Court Declines to Hear Plea on ‘Anti-National’ Posts
The court advised the petitioner to pursue alternate remedies.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a public interest litigation seeking directions to the Centre and social media platforms to identify, remove and block posts and memes containing what the petitioner described as anti-national slogans and speeches.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana declined to accept the submissions of lawyer Barun Sinha, who appeared for Ahmedabad-based petitioner Hitendra Kumar Parsottambhai Gadhiya.
The court also declined to tag the petition with another pending plea concerning social media content.
“You can pursue your alternate remedies,” the Chief Justice said.
The petition objected to the circulation of slogans and statements on X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp that it alleged were directed against India’s sovereignty and integrity.
It sought directions to remove posts that, according to the petitioner, could incite people against communal harmony, national integrity and judicial independence, or undermine constitutional functionaries.
The petition also alleged that threats posed by unruly mobs under the banner of the so-called “CJP”, together with fake messages circulated by SMS and social media, had disrupted the national capital and several state capitals.
The Union home ministry, the ministry of electronics and information technology, and social media companies were named as respondents.