'Ignore': SC declines to entertain plea on Kangana's social media posts against Sikhs

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a PIL seeking a direction to censor all future social media posts by Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, on the grounds that she had made several sacrilegious statements against the Sikh community, especially in connection with the protest against the farm laws.

The plea was filed by advocate Charanjeet Singh Chanderpal, who appeared in-person before the court.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Bela M. Trivedi told Chanderpal that the court respects his sensitivities, but the more he gives publicity to her utterances on social media, the more he would help her cause.

As the petitioner also sought clubbing of the FIRs, lodged against her in many states, for making allegedly making sacrilegious statements against the Sikh community, at a Mumbai police station, the bench said it is not possible for a third person to interfere, as the matter is between her and the state government.

However, Chanderpal pressed that she had made several sacrilegious statements against Sikh community and some action must be taken against her. At this, the bench reiterated that by giving her publicity, the petitioner is doing disservice to his cause.

"There are two ways, ignore... there is also remedy under the law," said the bench, adding that for every wrong, there is a remedy and the petitioner can avail remedy available under criminal law.

The plea sought direction to instruct all social media platforms to censor, modify or delete Kangana's posts before allowing their release, if it results in law and order problems in India.

The plea said Kangana has made these utterances on a pubic platform of social media like Instagram. "This post on Instagram in short means and infers 'Sikh Farmers as Khalistani Terrorists, Upholds the genocide of 1984, means that Sikhs should be treated as a lower race like unwanted mosquitoes and they need a Guru like Mrs Indira Gandhi when the Eternal Guru of the Sikhs is Guru Granth Sahibjee'," said the plea.

The plea contended that such statements develop a sense of racial discrimination, hate based on different faiths and could lead to a lot of heated arguments on social media and have to potency of even cause riots.

"The remarks are not only outrageous and blasphemous but also intend to cause riots, hurt religious sentiments, they are defamatory as well as portray Sikhs in a totally anti-national manner. It also justifies innocent killing of Sikhs. The remarks are totally against the unity of our country and the actress deserves a serious punishment at Law. They cannot be brushed aside or excused," added the plea, filed through advocate Anil Kumar.

The plea also sought a direction to transfer all the FIRs on the derogatory statements allegedly made by Kangna on Sikhs to Khar Police Station in Mumbai.