- News>
- India
Now Katju backs Sibal on social network filtering
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal Monday got support from the Press Council whose chief, Justice Markandey Katju said that he favoured filtering of `offensive material` on social networking sites as it could promote religious hatred.
New Delhi: Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal
on Monday got support from the Press Council whose chief, Justice
Markandey Katju said that he favoured filtering of "offensive
material" on social networking sites as it could promote
religious hatred.
"The pictures and other contents show religious figures of certain communities in a highly offensive and even pornographic manner. Such material is bound to create religious hatred and lead to most undesirable consequences," Katju said in a statement.
Katju`s comments come in the wake of the controversy triggered by Sibal`s comments about objectionable material on the Internet. The Press Council chief said that following the controversy he had carefully examined the contents, pictorial and the rest on the Internet and had come across highly offensive material.
"The pictures I have seen not only hurt the religious sentiments of members of certain religious communities, but are also outrageous, inflammatory and egregious, and are bound to disturb peace and result in serious law and order problems," he said.
Katju said that as per Section 153A of the IPC, it is a criminal offence to promote, or attempt to promote disharmony, feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will between different religious communities or groups, or do an act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious groups or communities, and which is likely to disturb the public tranquillity. "I have carefully perused the material in question and am of the opinion that there can be no manner of doubt that they attract Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code," the former Supreme Court judge said.
"Hence I am of the view that such offensive material should be removed or filtered out from the social network sites on the Internet immediately," Katju said.
PTI
"The pictures and other contents show religious figures of certain communities in a highly offensive and even pornographic manner. Such material is bound to create religious hatred and lead to most undesirable consequences," Katju said in a statement.
Katju`s comments come in the wake of the controversy triggered by Sibal`s comments about objectionable material on the Internet. The Press Council chief said that following the controversy he had carefully examined the contents, pictorial and the rest on the Internet and had come across highly offensive material.
"The pictures I have seen not only hurt the religious sentiments of members of certain religious communities, but are also outrageous, inflammatory and egregious, and are bound to disturb peace and result in serious law and order problems," he said.
Katju said that as per Section 153A of the IPC, it is a criminal offence to promote, or attempt to promote disharmony, feelings of enmity or hatred or ill-will between different religious communities or groups, or do an act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious groups or communities, and which is likely to disturb the public tranquillity. "I have carefully perused the material in question and am of the opinion that there can be no manner of doubt that they attract Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code," the former Supreme Court judge said.
"Hence I am of the view that such offensive material should be removed or filtered out from the social network sites on the Internet immediately," Katju said.
PTI