Delhi HC Gives Notice To Facebook, Instagram Over Objectionable Content On Hindu Deities

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi representing Instagram and Facebook submitted that the impugned content has already been removed from its platform.

New Delhi: The Delhi High court on Tuesday sent a notice to social media platforms like Facebook & Instagram based on a petition to remove highly objectionable content about Hindu deities on their platforms.

The petition comes after a Delhi man filed a complaint about a GIF/Sticker he found on Instagram which showed Hindu deity, Shiva, holding a wine glass & mobile phone while winking.

A Bench of Justice Rekha Palli asked the Centre, Instagram, and Facebook to file a reply on the petition and listed the matter for further hearing on August 16th, 2021. According to an ANI report, the court was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Aditya Singh Deshwal against "obnoxious" and "objectionable" posts put by some Instagram users which showed abusive language written about Hindu deities along with a vulgar representation of the deities was made in the form of cartoons and graphics.

Advocate Aditya Singh Deshwal has preferred the petition primarily with a grievance that certain users of the social network platform - Instagram, maintained by respondents, have posted certain highly objectionable content on the said platform which ought to be removed at the earliest.

Senior Advocate G Tushar Rao, appearing for the petitioner submitted before the court that Instagram has failed to comply with the new IT Rules, 2021 in its true sense, and notice should be issued by the court to all the Respondents replying on the legal grounds raised in the petition.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi representing Instagram and Facebook submitted that the impugned content has already been removed from its platform. He further submitted that a Grievance Officer, in terms of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, has already been appointed by the respondent.

Last week, Delhi resident Manish Singh registered a complaint after he found an “objectionable sticker”. While uploading an Instagram Story he searched for the keyword 'Shiv' which is when he saw the objectionable sticker.

He further said the sticker was not provided by a user but by the social media platform. He said that the purpose of making this sticker was to hurt the feelings of Hindus. A case should be filed against the CEO and other officials of Instagram for this act. There have been complaints about several objectionable stickers on Instagram before.