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Business Standard
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Fashion to misuse social media in garb of freedom of speech: Allahabad HC
Rejecting the bail plea of a person accused of posting objectionable content on social media against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian armed forces, the Allahabad High Court has observed that it has become a "fashion among certain groups of people" to misuse social media in the garb of freedom of speech. Rejecting the bail application of one Ashraf Khan on Wednesday, Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal observed that the freedom of speech guaranteed under the Constitution does not extend to such acts which disrespect high dignitaries and create disharmony among citizens. The court said it has become a "fashion among certain groups of people" to misuse social media in the garb of freedom of speech and expression by making unfounded allegations against high dignitaries, posting such material which creates disharmony and hatred among the people. The accused, Ashraf Khan alias Nisrat, was booked under sections 152 (acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India) and 197 (imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration) of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at PS Sasni of Hathras district. The accused allegedly uploaded edited videos on his Facebook ID during the recent India-Pakistan military face-off. According to the prosecution's case, the applicant-accused allegedly posted content showing that Prime Minister Modi was moving adjacent to a donkey running a cart and thereafter also showing him seeking an apology from Pakistan. In the alleged post, it was further shown that Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force, who had briefed the media along with Col Sofiya Qureshi during Operation Sindoor, was sitting with Pakistan's army chief. The post mentioned that PM Modi was running to save himself from the Pakistani missile. Another post said "Pakistan Air Force Zindabad" and also showed Indian aircraft being destroyed by Pakistani aircraft. Certain other "objectionable" posts against Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Modi were also posted by the applicant. During the course of the hearing, the counsel for Khan submitted that the applicant was innocent and the objectionable post had not been forwarded by the applicant even though it was found on his mobile. On the other hand, the state's counsel argued that the alleged posts on social media created disharmony among people of India and also showed disrespect to the Indian military and Indian Air Force, and therefore, his bail plea was opposed. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
HC denies bail to man for posts against PM, armed forces
The Allahabad high court on Wednesday rejected the bail application of a man accused of posting objectionable content on social media targeting the Prime Minister and the Indian Armed Forces. The Allahabad high court observed that the freedom of speech guaranteed under the Constitution does not extend to such acts which disrespect high dignitaries and incite disharmony among citizens. (File Photo) The high court observed that the freedom of speech guaranteed under the Constitution does not extend to such acts which disrespect high dignitaries and incite disharmony among citizens. Rejecting the bail application of Ashraf Khan alias Nisrat, justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal said it has become a 'fashion among certain groups of people' to misuse social media under the guise of freedom of expression by making unfounded allegations against national leaders and circulating content that spreads hatred and division. The accused was booked under sections 152 (acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India) and 197 (imputations and assertions prejudicial to national integration) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Sasni police station of Hathras district. It was alleged that the accused uploaded edited videos to his Facebook account during the recent India-Pakistan military face-off. According to the prosecution, one video allegedly depicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi walking alongside a donkey pulling a cart fitted with an aircraft, and later portrayed him as apologising to Pakistan. Another portion of the post allegedly showed Wing Commander Vyomika Singh of the Indian Air Force seated beside the Pakistan Army chief, with captions suggesting that the PM was running to save himself from a Pakistani missile. Additional posts allegedly included slogans such as 'Pakistan Air Force Zindabad' and visuals of Indian aircraft being destroyed by Pakistani jets. Other objectionable content targeting defence minister Rajnath Singh and the PM was also found, according to the prosecution. During the hearing, the applicant's counsel argued that Khan was innocent and had not forwarded the objectionable posts himself, though they were found on his mobile phone. In contrast, the state counsel opposed the bail plea, arguing that the posts created social disharmony and insulted the Indian military establishment. In its order dated July 2 (Wednesday), the court concluded that the nature of the posts reflected disrespect not only towards the Prime Minister but also towards the Indian Armed Forces and its officers. 'Though our Constitution grants the right to freedom of speech and expression to every citizen, that freedom does not extend to posting videos and content that insult the Prime Minister, the Indian Military and its officers. Such actions not only cause social disharmony but also promote separatist sentiment and pose a threat to the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India,' the court observed. Accordingly, the bail application was rejected.
