Connect with us
Tuesday,25-February-2025
Breaking News

National News

Can’t stop circulation of judicial officer’s video without users’ numbers: WhatsApp to Delhi HC

Published

on

In wake of the Delhi High Court ordering the taking down of sexually explicit video of a judicial officer, social media platforms on Friday told the court that they have removed the video and blocked several URLs.

However, WhatsApp, the Meta-owned instant messaging app, told the court that it is not possible to erase the video from the platform until unless it is provided with users’s phone numbers and the court’s order.

Appearing for WhatsApp, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said that if they are provided with phone numbers, they will pull down the video if ordered by the court.

At this, the single judge bench of Justice Yashwant Varma told the plantiff’s counsel Ashish Dixit, to provide the phone numbers so that WhatsApp can take requisite steps.

Justice Varma listed the matter for next hearing on February 8.

The WhatsApp argument took place when the court was hearing a plea by the woman present in the video, who is reportedly the judicial officer’s steno. She moved the court arguing that the video is fabricated.

The Delhi HC on late November 30, directed the Centre and social media platforms to ensure that the sexually explicit video of a judicial officer, which had gone viral on the internet on November 29, be not shared, distributed, forwarded or posted further.

Justice Varma had also asked for the video to be taken down and blocked from all ISPs, messaging platforms, and social media platforms.

“Bearing in mind the sexually explicit nature of the contents of that video and taking into consideration the imminent, grave and irreparable harm that is likely to be caused to the privacy rights of the plaintiff, an ad interim ex parte injunction is clearly warranted,” the court had said.

The plea had sought a permanent direction to restrain the social media platforms from publishing or telecasting the video in question.

The court had also observed that the provisions under Section 354C of IPC as well as Section 67A of the Information and Technology Act “would appear to be violated” if further circulation, sharing and distribution of the video wasn’t restrained.

National News

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta tables CAG report in Assembly; Speaker says ‘blocking it a criminal offence’

Published

on

New Delhi, Feb 25: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday tabled the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report in the Assembly, amid constant rounds of political sparring and squabbling between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP.

Soon after the address of Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, the CM tabled the CAG’s ‘Performance audit report on regulation and supply of liquor in Delhi.’

A total of 14 CAG reports, pertaining to various departments of Delhi government, are to be tabled in the Assembly and as reports suggest they will be tabled in a staggered manner.

The tabling of the CAG report on the Arvind Kejriwal government’s liquor policy assumes significance as this was allegedly the ‘biggest scam’ during the AAP’s tenure and earned it huge backlash and anger from the common public.

A couple of its top leaders were arrested for the corruption-laden excise policy, which was later revoked. Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had to give up his chair.

In the run-up to Assembly elections, the ‘liquor scam’ became a major poll plank as the BJP succeeded in conveying the message that the AAP government facilitated wide-scale corruption with its excise policy. The previous dispensation also stonewalled the tabling of the CAG report in the state Assembly.

Delhi Speaker Vijender Gupta termed the blocking of the CAG report in the Assembly a ‘criminal offence’. He said that the AAP government deliberately blocked the CAG report from coming into public domain and its act also drew harsh criticism from the High Court.

Earlier, when the House proceedings began, the AAP legislators created ruckus in the House by chanting slogans and protesting against the BJP government’s move to insult Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

They also tried to disrupt the L-G’s address to the Assembly. Despite directions from the Speaker, the unrelenting AAP MLAs continue to make noise.

Following this, at least a dozen AAP MLAs were suspended for the day.

Continue Reading

National News

Rajasthan Assembly: Six suspended Cong MLAs stopped from entering House, deadlock continues

Published

on

Jaipur, Feb 25: The six suspended Congress MLAs were not allowed to enter the Rajasthan Assembly on Tuesday as they tried to forcibly make their way into the House but were stopped by marshalls.

The deadlock in the Rajasthan Assembly continued for the fifth day, with tensions escalating over state Minister Avinash Gehlot’s remark about former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Although Congress MLAs have ended their sit-in protest in the House, they are firm on their demands, vowing to disrupt proceedings until the suspension of six MLAs is revoked and the Minister issues a formal apology.

The Congress MLAs ended their sit-in on Monda, but is likely to continue its boycott of the Assembly on Tuesday, said party workers.

The crisis deepened further when accusations of insulting the Speaker were added to the ongoing conflict between the ruling party and the opposition. The situation worsened after Monday’s session was adjourned, as Dotasra allegedly used offensive language against the Speaker, intensifying the dispute. As a result, the reinstatement of the six suspended Congress MLAs remains stalled.

Having left the House, the suspended MLAs are now barred from returning until further resolution.

Dotasra reiterated Congress’ stance, stating, “Until the Minister’s remarks are expunged from the records and an apology is issued, we will not participate in Assembly proceedings.”

He further asserted that if the party’s 66 MLAs are unable to attend, they will take their fight to the streets. This statement reinforces the Congress’ strategy of boycotting the Assembly.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel placed the blame squarely on Dotasra, alleging that he reneged on an agreement made in the Speaker’s chamber. “It was agreed that Dotasra would express regret for approaching the Speaker’s table inappropriately, but he later refused,” Patel said.

He also condemned Dotasra’s remarks about the Speaker, calling them “highly inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Patel accused the Congress leader of deliberately orchestrating the standoff to stall legislative proceedings.

“The people of Rajasthan are watching. What public interest issue justifies this ongoing disruption?” he questioned.

Continue Reading

National News

Delhi Assembly: 12 AAP MLAs suspended for the day

Published

on

New Delhi, Feb 25: A total of 12 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were suspended from the Delhi Assembly for unruly behaviour during the Lt. Governor’s address on Tuesday.

Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Vinai Kumar Saxena was making the customary address in the Assembly when the AAP MLAs resorted to massive sloganeering.

The opposition MLAs were raising Jai Bhim slogans and protesting the removal of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar’s pictures from the Delhi Chief Minister’s office.

The AAP MLAs tried to disrupt the L-G address. Despite repeated directions from the Speaker, the AAP MLAs continued to make noise.

Speaker Vijender Gupta then ordered the suspension after taking the names of the protesting AAP MLAs. Amid the ruckus, the House was adjourned till noon.

The Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Atishi was also one of the suspended MLAs.

The others were: Gopal Rai, Anil Jha, Jarnail Singh, Vishesh Ravi, Som Dutt, Surender Singh, Veer Singh Dhingan, Mukesh Ahlawat, Virender Singh Kadian, Kuldeep Kumar, and Chaudhary Zubair Ahmad.

The AAP MLAs alleged that the BJP-led government had removed photographs of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh from the Chief Minister’s Office. On Monday, former Chief Minister Atishi shared a photo of herself seated in the CM’s office with portraits of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh in the background. She contrasted this with a photo of the new Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, where portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, President Droupadi Murmu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were displayed instead.

The BJP quickly hit back, releasing a picture that showed the photographs of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh on an adjoining wall.

A video later also showed photos of Mahatma Gandhi, President Murmu and PM Modi behind the Chief Minister’s chair with photos of Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh placed on the adjoining walls.

The Delhi Assembly’s three-day session began on Monday with the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected MLAs and the nomination of the House Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

The BJP government has decided to submit the CAG reports in the Assembly on Tuesday. The report says that the “actual implementation was sub-optimal and objectives behind the policy were not achieved.

Continue Reading

Trending