Indian HC asks Twitter to remove objectionable content related to Hindu Goddess

ISLAMABAD: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Twitter to remove certain objectionable material relating to Hindu Goddess from its platform, observing that the social media giant shall respect sentiments of the general public as it was doing business for them.

The bench said Twitter was doing a good job and the people were happy with it. Things are going to be removed or not? the court asked the counsel for Twitter. The bench said you should respect the sentiments of the general public as you are doing business for the public at large.

Their sentiments shall be given due importance… Why you should do things like this. You should remove this, a bench comprising Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said. You remove it. You have done it in Rahul Gandhi’s case also, the bench added.

The advocate, representing Twitter, said the court may mention in the order and they will abide by the direction. The court listed the matter for further hearing on November 30. Petitioner Aditya Singh Deshwal said he came across some highly obnoxious posts about Maa Kaali put up by a user with the name @AtheistRepublic and the deity was represented in a disgraceful and outrageous manner.

The petitioner, through his counsel, said he intimated the grievance officer of Twitter that the content put by the user was in grave contravention of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 and non-compliance of the rules shall make Twitter lose its legal immunity provided under the Information Technology Act.

He claimed that Twitter repudiated that the content in the account is not of a category for which it takes action and therefore, it cannot be removed. The plea sought direction to Twitter to remove the objectionable content from its platform and also permanently suspend the concerned user account.