The Delhi High Court has directed the central government to decide within 15 days on an appeal seeking the removal of an allegedly offensive video by social media influencer Dhruv Rathee.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued the order on Friday, instructing the government’s Grievance Appellate Committee to resolve the pending matter quickly. The directive comes after the petitioner pointed out that the committee had failed to rule on the case within its standard one-month timeframe, with the appeal remaining unresolved for nearly three months.
Details of the Dispute
The legal action was initiated by advocate Amita Sachdeva, who objected to a video uploaded to Rathee’s official YouTube channel on March 21. Sachdeva argued that the video contains false, malicious, and highly offensive assertions regarding Hindu deities and revered icons, specifically claiming they consumed alcohol and non-vegetarian food.
In addition to appealing to the Grievance Appellate Committee, Sachdeva filed a complaint with the New Delhi Cyber Crime Cell and invoked statutory provisions under the Information Technology Rules of 2021.
Arguments on Platform Accountability
During the court proceedings, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the government, argued that social media platforms should not wait for official government orders to take action. He stated that the disparagement of religious figures is entirely intolerable and that platforms like Google, which owns YouTube, are already empowered to block and remove such material under their due diligence requirements.
The government representative urged that intermediaries must remain vigilant in the future to prevent the publication of divisive content that denigrates and hurts the sentiments of the majority community.
To support the government’s position on blocking powers, the ASG cited a recent Delhi High Court ruling that upheld the temporary blocking of the Telegram platform. He noted that the court in that case confirmed that information harmful to public interest and security can be blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
Following these submissions, Justice Sharma directed the appellate committee to rule on the matter within 15 days of receiving the court order, subsequently disposing of the petition.
