How can court stop it: SC on inflammatory hashtags on Twitter
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 30
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to entertain a petition seeking direction to the government to take measures to stop inflammatory hashtags on Twitter linking members of a particular community to COVID-19.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said it was like asking MTNL to stop people talking wrong things on the phone.
“You are saying people are saying wrong things on Twitter. How can the court stop this?” it wondered.
Petitioner advocate Khaja Aijazuddin alleged that certain hashtags trending on Twitter attacked members of a particular community by linking them to COVID19.
Terming it as unwarranted and unconstitutional, he wanted the top court to ask the government to direct Twitter to stop inflammatory hashtags such as #Islamiccoronavirusjihad, #Coronajihad, #Tablighi Jamat, #Nizamuddinidiots, #TablighiJamatVirus.
He said it went against the March 18 WHO advisory that said religion cannot be linked to the pandemic.
The petitioner contended that hurting religious sentiments was a crime under IPC and such hashtags might disturb communal harmony.
However, maintaining that it can’t issue such a pre-emptive direction, the Bench asked him to approach the high court.
