The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it will hear in six weeks the Union government’s plea to transfer to the apex court all petitions filed against the new IT Rules. Several petitions challenging the new IT Rules are pending in different high courts, including the high courts of Delhi and Madras. The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana was hearing a batch of petitions over alleged communal coverage of the Nizamuddin Markaz meeting last year.
While hearing the plea, the Supreme Court also voiced serious concern over the running of fake news on social media platforms and web portals and said that even news shown in a section of channels bears a communal tone, which may bring a bad name to the country.
A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana was hearing a batch of petitions including the one filed by Jamaat Ulema-i-Hind seeking directions to the Union government to stop the dissemination of "fake news" related to a religious gathering at the Markaz Nizamuddin and take strict action against those responsible for it.
“Everything shown in a section of private news channels bears a communal tone. Ultimately, this country is going to get a bad name. Did you ever attempt to regulate these private channels?" asked the bench.
"Social media only listens to the powerful voices and several things are written against judges, institutions without any accountability," said the bench which also comprised justices Surya Kant and AS Bopanna.
"There is no control over fake news and slandering in web portals and YouTube channels. If you go to YouTube, you will find how fake news is freely circulated and anyone can start a channel on YouTube," it said.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta told the apex court that the new IT Rules have provisions to control the content put up by intermediaries but that there are many petitions filed against the Rules, and so the Union government has filed a petition asking that all the pleas be heard singularly by the Supreme Court
The top court then agreed to hear after six weeks the Union government’s plea and said that it may be clubbed with the petition against media coverage on Nizamuddin Markaz.
With PTI inputs