Nueva Delhi: SC on Monday ruled out the censorship of freedom of speech And he said he was still sacrosanct if he adjusted to reasonable restrictions.
However, he clarified that this was not a license to transmit on social media platforms dirty words and depraved thoughts that militate against decency and morals. Expanding the scope of the request of the influencer Ranveer Allahbadia that seeks protection against arrest for rude comments in a program, SC told the center to consider the framing guidelines, after carrying out consultations with the interested parties, to regulate the content of shows and podcasts on social networks.
But these guidelines, whether judicially framed or by Parliament, should not have the form of censorship. The editors of our Constitution had the forecast to give great freedom to freedom of expression and, nevertheless, at the same time, they had exemplary wisdom to circumscribe it through reasonable restrictions listed in article 19 (2). Guidelines should not lead to censorship. But saying that it is free for all is also very dangerous, “said a Judge Surya Kant and NK Singh bank.
On February 18 he had given Allahbadia a dressing before his arrest in FIRS housed in Thane and Guwahati.
The court allowed Allahbadia to celebrate its shows with the condition that it would not violate traditional Indian norms on decency and morals.
“There should be some control element so that freedom of expression is not used, but regulations cannot affect freedom of expression,” said the bank. The attorney general Tushar Mehta said the government was all for that.
“The government is also against any censorship of freedom of expression. But in the name of comedy, one cannot transmit something that is indecent, vulgar and perverse. Freedom of expression is beautiful, it must be protected. But perversity cannot be freedom of expression. The young generation must be protected from such shows, ”said Mehta.
Allahbadia’s lawyer, Abhinav Chandrachud, begged the court to remain at the arrest and relaxed his condition of February 18, not to celebrate any show until more orders, and said that 280 people worked with Allahbadia and that their livelihood would be endangered if the petitioner was prevented from administering their show.
Taking into account the apologies and remorse expressed by Allahbadia, the SC agreed to relax the condition, but warned that it should not be seen violating traditional Indian social norms on decency and morality in any of its shows. At the request to allow him to visit foreign countries, the bank said it would be considered after cooperating with the investigations carried out by the police in Maharashtra and Assam.
“We know one of his associates who went to Canada and made all kinds of comments on the court order,” said the bank, inviting a immediate clarification of Chandrachud that his client had nothing to do with the program transmitted from Canada. He said that the interested person was a Copanelist with Allahbadia in the controversial show and that there was no other connection between the two. “Such was the vulgarity, obscenity and the level of humor and the language rotten by Allahbadia in the program that no family could have sat down and saw that type of show,” said the SG.
In the warning of ‘adults only’ for the program, Mehta said that a child could not be able to access such shows under the deceptive trick that the producers had sounded the warning of ‘only adults’. “Our standards of morality and decency differ from the western world,” he added.
“The Government is also against censorship, but there should be some regulation on such use of blasphemies that militates against the morals and decency of society. There are comedians who are very critical of the government but make shows without crossing the limits. They use good humor, which can be observed by all, ”said Mehta.
The bank told Mehta that the government of the Union should argue with all those interested to deliberate which safeguards and measures are needed to regulate freedom of expression, but should not be equivalent to censorship.