On Monday, the High Court of Delhi issued notice to a leading media organisation, News Broadcasters Association, Press Council of India and Union of India on a petition seeking direction to restrain the fake-news by setting the accountability & responsibility of the concerned authorities, to frame the necessary guidelines & to constitute a Committee for handling the fake-news on various social handles.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel & Justice Jyoti Singh asked the Centre & others to file the reply on the plea & listed the matter for further hearing on Feb 26.
The plea was filed by Manjit Singh GK through counsel Parminder Singh Goindi challenging the vicious, unmitigated, concocted & reprehensible actions of certain media houses & claimed that certain media houses have unleashed an offensive & potentially fatal communal attack on the Sikh community by continuous circulation & constant transmission of unverified videos through different platforms including their respective news channels, YouTube, & other such digital & online platforms, pursuant to the events that unfolded in New Delhi on Jan 26.
The plea said that “Such vicious campaign directed against a particular community especially at a time when public sentiments are flared up could result in disastrous consequences for the community including endangering the lives, property & liberty of people belonging to the “Sikh” community”.
The plea sought direction in the nature of mandamus for organising press-conference or uploading, circulating & broadcasting the authentic news on the official website of the concerned authorities & department to counter fake news.
It also sought to issue a direction to restrain the respondent media house from circulating, transmitting & showcasing videos or news content which is directed towards vilifying a particular community & inciting hatred.
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