New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 18) sought the presence of Attorney General of India (AG) and Solicitor General of India to assist it on how to tackle the vacuum in regulating obscene content on YouTube and other social media, saying “there was a need to do something”.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh sought the presence of the Attorney General and Solicitor General just after hearing a plea filed by influencer Ranveer Allahabadia against multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against him over his obscene and vulgar remarks during ‘India’s Got Latent’ show on YouTube.
Not going to leave the issue: Apex Court
The bench, which issued notice to the Centre, said that it would be very happy if the government did something on its own keeping in mind the importance and sensitivity of the issue and in any case it is not going to leave the issue and would like to do something.
The bench, while raising its concerns over misuse of online platforms by some content creators, told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati and asked her to request the Attorney General and the Solicitor General to be present during the next date of hearing, adding, “We should not overlook the importance and sensitivity of the issue.”
“Yes we will be there,” AsG Bhati told the court.
Apex Court slammed influencer Allahabadia over his remarks
Earlier during the day, the top court, while granting Allahabadia interim protection from arrest subject to his joining investigation and cooperating fully into the investigation, came down heavily on him for his distasteful remarks made during ‘India’s Got Latent’ show on YouTube.
“The words you have chosen, parents will be ashamed, sisters will be ashamed. Entire society will feel ashamed. The perversion you and your henchmen have exhibited,” the bench told Allahabadia’s lawyer Abhinav Chandrachud and added, “What are the parameters of obscenity/vulgarity? If this is not obscenity in this country, then what it!? See the language you are using. You have got license to speak all kind of things?”
The bench further added, “Somebody thinks that because I have become so and so popular, I can speak any kind of words and take entire society for granted…you tell us anyone in the world who would like such words.”
Apex Court granted Allahabadia interim protection from arrest with certain conditions
The bench stayed the arrest of Allahabadia in FIRs registered against him in Assam, Mumbai and Jaipur subject to his joining investigation and cooperating fully. It said that he won’t be accompanied by counsel inside police station and directed that no further FIR shall be registered against him on the basis of episode aired on show ‘India’s Got Latent’ and also directed that he or his associates shall not air any other show till further orders. It further directed him not to leave the country without court’s nod.
