New Delhi:
It is not against freedom of expression for the government to block objectionable content online, the Supreme Court today said, in an observation that assumes significance amid a debate on censorship on the Internet.
"Prima facie we don't find anything wrong with the rules. In a huge country like India, something published somewhere creates havoc, particularly in religious issues. We have to look at this in a holistic way," the court observed.
The top court's observations came during the hearing of a petition filed by the website mouthshut.com, challenging the rules under the Information Technology Act.
The website argued that the rules say that objectionable material in a website has to be removed within 36 hours of any complaint, was against freedom of expression.
The Supreme Court cited how rumours on clashes in Myanmar had forced people from the northeast to leave Bangalore in droves in August, last year.
"You know how rumours were spread. Something happened in Myanmar and northeast people in Bangalore had to leave the city. We have a host of problems in this country. What is wrong with the rules? Serious things have happened because of such posts."
When the website asked for action against it to be put on hold till a final verdict, the court said, "it will give a wrong impression. Anyway we are examining your petition challenging the rules for which notice had already been issued."