Telangana High Court Issues Notice To Home Secretary Ajay. K. Bhalla, On Islamophobia Case
(Judicial Quest News Network)
The Telangana High Court on Wednesday issued a contempt notice to the Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
A Division Bench of comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice B. Vijay SenReddy issued notice in a contempt case alleging non- compliance of High Court orders regardin the stopping of trending of Islamophobia messages across the nation on social network platform like Twitter etc.
The Petition was filed by Advocate Khaja Aijazuddin, who requested the court to stop the illegal trending on Twitter Inc’s social network under the name Islamic corona virus jihad, Tablighi Jamat, Islamophobia and Others.
In 2021, the then Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysenreddy passed an order asking home secretary Ministry og Home Affairs, government of India to evaluate the averments made in the petition and take necessary actions, if regarded as envisioned by law.
In 2020, the same petitioner had filed a PIL WP no134/2020, BEFORE THE Hon’ble High Court of Telangana seeking to stop the illegal trending on Social Media.
It was further submitted that there was Religious Congregation was conducted from 13th March 2020 to 15th March 2020 at Delhi organized by Tablighi Jamat at Nizamuddin, Delhi where Scholars or attendees have come from across the World and from different States of India and the Organizers have housed them by providing necessary day to day facilities.
Petitioner submits that the attendees after getting dispersed to their respective States and during or after arriving their respective places there was some cases of detection of Coronavirus symptoms i.e. Positive and the attendees who have come from abroad and are staying at Nizamuddin, Delhi where congregation took place were tested positive and the “State” took them for Quarantine as per the norms and due to massive publicity given by the media that many of the positive cases of symptoms of Coronavirus were found from Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin, Delhi.
There was massive trending on the Twitter attached to the religion of the disease coronavirus and in those circumstances I have issued Representation,{Petition Dated 02.04.2020 thru email to the Cabinet Secretary, Govt. of India, Union home Secretary, Govt. of India, The Director General of Police, Telangana State, Hyderabad City, The Commissioner 6.1
It is most respectfully submitted that the Petitioner submits that there was Religious Congregation was conducted from 13th March 2020 to 15th March 2020 at Delhi organized by Tablighi Jamat at Nizamuddin, Delhi where Scholars or attendees have come from across the World and from different States of India and the Organizers have housed them by providing necessary day to day facilities. ) of Police, Hyderabad City, and another ‘arid the sum and substance of the said representation dated 02.04.2020 was that in view of the particular community is attached to the Coronavirus which is totally contrary to the Guidelines issued by the WHO, Dated 18.03.2020 i.e. Para Nos. 1 & 2 therein in the Guidelines mandated that religion shall not be attached with the pandemic i.e. Coronavirus and due to trending on Twitter to take action against the Twitter by blocking the unwarranted tweets or usages which is affecting the particular community and to uphold the “Rule of Law” necessary action may be taken.
In the light of the above facts the high Court had directed the home secretary to examine the case and initiate appropriate legal action against the offenders, if considered expedient.
The petitioner aggrieved by the lethargic attitude of the home secretary felt and brought into the notice of the court that no action has yet been initiated by the centre, moved a contempt plea charging the home secretary with violating the orders of the court.
The case is listed again on 24, August.
