Picture : Twitter/ ANI
Digital and social media need to be mandatorily regulated in the country to preserve the rule of law under the Constitution, Supreme Court Judge Justice J B Pardiwala said on Sunday, terming as “dangerous” the crossing of ‘Lakshman rekha’ on these platforms for “personalised, agenda-driven attacks” on the judges.
As per PTI report, The remarks by Justice Pardiwala at an event in Delhi come amid an uproar by a section over the strong oral observations of a vacation bench, in which he was a member, against suspended Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nupur Sharma for her controversial comments against Prophet Mohammed.
The apex court had said that her “loose tongue” has “set the entire country on fire” and she should apologise.
The observations of the bench, which had also refused to club the FIRs lodged against Sharma across the country, sparked a debate, including on digital and social media platforms, leading to some uncharitable comments against the judges also.
“In India, which cannot be classified as mature and an informed democracy, social and digital media is employed frequently to politicise purely legal and constitutional issues,” Justice Pardiwala said and gave the illustration of the Ayodhya land dispute case.
He said the trials by digital media are an undue interference in the justice dispensation system. “Crossing that ‘Lakshman rekha’ many times, this is especially more worrisome,” the judge, who has recently been elevated to the top court, said.
Rule of law is most distinguishing feature of Indian democracy, public opinion has to be subordinate to rule of law. We’re guardian of rights & have to tell people things they don’t like… Judicial verdicts cannot be reflections of influence of public opinion,
In India which cannot be defined as a completely mature or defined democracy, social media is employed frequently to politicise purely legal and constitutional issues , Justice Pardiwala was quoted as saying by ANI.
