By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass any interim order to stop “communal and irresponsible” reporting carried by a section of print and electronic media in connection with the recent Nizamuddin Markaz incident. Taking plea that it “cannot curb freedom of press” the apex court asked the petitioner (Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind) to implead the Press Council of India (PCI) as a party to the case and posted the next hearing after two weeks.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde heard the matter through video-conference and said it would not pass any interim order in the matter at this stage.
“We cannot curb the freedom of press,” the bench, also comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and M M Shantanagoudar, told the counsel Ejaz Maqbool appearing for the petitioner who prayed the Court that there was violence due to the constant news reporting around the Tablighi Jamaat episode.
Maqbool persisted with the Court that in Karnataka, there have been incidents of violence owing to the reportage, and those names of people have been made public.
In response, CJI Bobde stated that if it was a question of killing, defamation “then your remedy is somewhere else,” but “if it’s a question of larger reporting then PCI has to be made party.”
The Petition stated that reports on the Tablighi Jamaat by certain sections of print and electronic media have “demonised the entire Muslim community.”
It further stated that the demonization campaign has led to serious “threat to life and liberty of Muslims”, and has thus led to the violation of their “Right to life under Article 21.”
Most of the reports presented the facts in a twisted manner, using phrases like “Corona Jihad”, “Corona Terrorism” or “Islamic Resurrection”.
While listing “several social media posts” which “wrongly showed Muslims doing deliberate acts to spread COVID-19,” the petition argued that if there is any delay in ordering a directive to stop communal reporting regarding the Markaz issue, it would only “promote ill-will, enmity and hatred towards the Muslim community in India.”
One of the fake social media posts highlighted in the plea was a mass Muslim religious gathering where an act of “mass sneezing” was reported. However, the petition has given links to fact check reports highlighting how it was a Sufi practice which was falsely reported as an effort to spread the Coronavirus pandemic.
It has sought directions to the Centre to stop dissemination of “fake news” and take strict action against those responsible for it.
The petition noted that while such reports demonising the Muslim community have flooded social media, platforms like Twitter have taken no action in accordance with their standard practice and guidelines.
It reminded the apex court that such fake reports were also the violation of its March 31 order directing the media to publish “official version of reports” dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak.
Citing all these, the petition prayed to the Court to direct the media to maintain a strong sense of responsibility and ensure that unverified news capable of causing panic would not be disseminated.”
It goes on to highlight that the recent Delhi riots was one of the “worst communal riots in the Union territory’s history” and that communalising the Tablighi Jamaat meet puts the “law and order situation of the entire state” at risk.
However, the bench observed that “If it is a question of killing or defamation, then your remedy lies somewhere else. But if it is a question of larger reporting, then Press Council of India has to be made a party.”
The case is now likely to be heard after two weeks.
It would have been surprising if the order was for banning hate propaganda!
In fact in another horrible decision SC refused free Covid19 test to all poor at private labs.
the corona virus and the Tablighi Jamaat innocent action have given a chance for the Modi RSS government to engineer hate mongering against the Muslims.. this virus will never stop until the last Muslim will dead or be converted as a slave of the Hindutva Way of life, serving the Brahmins of the country. If and when the Muslims are obliterated from the Indian soil then it will be the turn of the Christians to perish followed by the programme to reduce the population of the Hindu populations. Only the fight to dismantle the caste system in India will save the majority Hindus from the Minority Brahmins. At present the Majority Hindus are willing to sacrifice their lives for the benefit of the minority Brahmins
This is the nature of hindus.This helped Mughals and British to rule this country .i hope this will again help.
This is the nature of hindus.This helped Mughals and British to rule this country .i guess this will again help.
Bro, please buy one kg of wisdom for treatment..
And half kg of proficiency of English language to be able to communicate for benefit of community and nation.
We have so many Hindu brothers and sisters fighting and writing regularly for equality in Indian Constitution for everyone, don’t waste their efforts by silly emotional remarks.
I am just checking the reactions.
The muslims will rule this hindussthan once again, before the end of this world
How peoples are behaving that really matters.
What a shameful day for once illustrious Indian judiciary!
Stooped down to ”Hail Fuhrer Fascists” today. Shame….
Is there Justice for Muslims in India?
Why are all judges in the Supreme Court tend to show leaning towards Hindutva?
Why did they need 2weeks?
Do they want to give time to damage more of the Muslim credibility?
Or do they wanted to give more time to the opposite side to destroy evidence?
Will you shut up all cry-baby Muslims?
Did you ever fight when unconstitutional EVMs were made election-deciders in 2014 and 2019?
RSS brought in EVMs to kill minority and Bahujan vote, so that Brahmin-Baniyas which are 8 to 10% can rule over 140 crores.
You never understood this significance, and even today too scared to protest on streets till chamcha ECI, ED, RBI, SC are forced to remove murderous EVMs.
German Supreme court rejected and banned EVMs as doubtful, manipulated and unconstitutional.
You were fighting for silly things and your firqas.
So stop crying, Allah just gave you return for your illiteracy, your shit leaders, your lack of foresight and lack of courage of your 14th century-stuck Ulema; and your Ghaflah in Constitutional rights, Humanity, education and courage to fight for Truth and Justice…
Now all you can do is try to reform, give abundant Charity openly to let people learn, stop bad practices, be united to one “Muslim, Bahujan, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, adivasi, Jain and minorities” samaaj and lastly PRAY to Allah in Ramadan….
“Allah does not change the condition of a community which does not change themselves first.”
If u are expecting justice from hindu kuffar extremists then joke is on you. there is no such thing as justice in that hate filled apartheid system.
India is following the path of Facist Nazis.
It will lead to break the country. RSS and it’s affiliates BJP are dividing the country in the name of religion. Judges are also leaning towards them. Shame on democracy.
SC judges choose the way of Gogoi….All get sold to fascist ruling party. Soon it will create Taliban hindu raj. Many hindus are against such fascism but they afraid of backlash from their community….
Good hats up