Remove offensive videos against Sikhs: Delhi court directs Google

Contending that the certain videos being circulated on the social media are "derogatory" and can disturb communal harmony, a Delhi court has directed Google India to remove the videos which used abusive words for people following Sikhism from social media, including YouTube.

Civil Judge Jasjeet Kaur's direction came after a suit was filed in the court seeking directions to the San Bruno, California-based, YouTube, now a subsidiary of Google, to remove offensive videos against Sikhs uploaded by one Sakshi Bhardwaj and her associates.

The court allowed the suit considering the sensitive nature of the complaint. During the in-camera hearing, some of the videos were shown to the court. The transcripts of one of the videos shown in the court were submitted to the judge as a part of the petition.

"After going through the contents of the plaint and watching of the video, it prima facie appears that the uploader of the videos has made derogatory remarks against the Sikh Gurus and their family members including mother, wife etc. The followers of the Sikh faith are likely to feel a grave insult to their religious sentiments by continued circulation of videos of Sakshi Bhardwaj on social media.

"Moreover social harmony and law and order situation is likely to get adversely affected, if the defendant no 1 (Google) is not restrained from the publication of the derogatory videos," the court said in its order.

ALLEGED OFFENDERS

The plea had alleged that the videos were uploaded under various names like Hindu Mahasabha, Aggbani news, Simran Singh, pind de mandeer to name a few