Madhya Pradesh High Court orders social media platforms to remove posts tarnishing the image of religious leader Aacharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered prominent social media platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube to remove the posts tarnishing the image of religious leader Aacharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, and not to publish any such posts about him without examining the veracity of the material.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered prominent social media platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube, to remove posts that tarnish the image of religious leader Aacharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. The court also directed the platforms not to publish any such posts about Shastri without examining the veracity of the material.

Background of the Case

The order was issued in response to a petition filed by Ranjit Singh Patel, who claims to be a disciple of Shastri, the 'peethadheeshwar' (head priest) of Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur district. Patel's petition objected to objectionable posts and news reports that allegedly maligned Shastri's image. The petition cited certain posts or videos on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and reports in the print media about the religious leader.

Court's Directive

Justice Sanjay Dwivedi, while hearing the petition, directed the social media platforms to adhere to the norms of journalistic conduct before publishing any news about Shastri. The platforms are required to first ascertain the veracity of such news or information from the concerned person to determine if it is defamatory or harmful to Shastri's image.

The court further directed that any posts already displayed on electronic media that tarnish the image of Dhirendra Krishna Shastri should be deleted.

Notices Issued to Respondents

The court also issued notices to the respondents, including the Union government through the secretary of the Department of Information and Broadcasting, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and others. The respondents have been asked to file their replies within six weeks.

Significance of the Order

The Madhya Pradesh High Court's order is significant in light of the increasing spread of misinformation and defamatory content on social media platforms. The order serves as a reminder to these platforms of their responsibility to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the information they disseminate. It also highlights the importance of protecting individuals' reputations from malicious online attacks.

The case will be heard again on January 18, 2023.