Time for state to bring in stricter norms to deal with rapid rise of unwarranted inflammatory posts on social media: Bombay HC

MUMBAI: Bombay high court on Friday said it was “time for state to introduce a regime” with “stricter norms” to deal with “rapid rise of absolutely avoidable, uncalled for and unwarranted inflammatory posts on the social media.”

“Regrettably, a trend is clearly discernible that in the name of exercise of a right, the liberty of free speech is being abused with bad faith,” said a bench of chief justice Dipankar Datta and justice Madhav Jamdar while disposing a Public interest Litigation (PIL) against allegedly inflammatory videos posted by a person.

The HC added, “people may exercise some degree of restraint on their liberty of free speech and expression particularly during these testing times.The right cannot be exercised to sow seeds of hatred and to create disharmony among religious communities.”