Court polices anti-religious content on social networks

Social networking sites operational in the country have been, off late, bearing the brunt of a double-edged sword. It all began with a spate of defamatory comments on the nation's top leaders on Facebook, which earned it the ire of the IT and Communications Minister, Kapil Sibal. Now, however, a certain Mufti Aijaz Arshad Qasmi has taken a dislike to the content posted on social networking sites like Facebook, Google, Orkut, YouTube. Qasmi then approached the civil court to file a suit.

Facing the heat, with others

Confirming the news, Times of India reports that now administrative civil judge, Mukesh Kumar has passed an ex-parte order. Following this order, social networking sites will have to get rid of objectionable content posted that have a negative bearing to the secular harmony of the country. Content, be it in the form of text, videos, images, which in any way reek of anti-religious-ness should be off social networking sites, the judge directed. Qasmi, reportedly approached the court with an intention to seek a permanent and mandatory injunction against as many as 22 websites, citing the presence of highly objectionable content on them.

A quote from the judge that featured in the report, stated that, "Taking in consideration the facts and circumstances and nature of the suit filed by the plaintiff (Qasmi) where every time these social networking sites are being used by the public at large and there is every apprehension of mischief in the public, the defendants (websites) are hereby restrained from publishing defamatory articles shown by the plaintiff and contained in the CD filed by the plaintiff immediately on service of this order and notice. Defendants are further directed to remove the same from the social networking sites."

A hearing in this respect has been scheduled to December 24, 2011