SC orders status quo in Facebook officials summoning by Delhi Assembly, will hear matter on Dec 2
Oct 15, 2020
New Delhi [India], October 15 : In the matter pertaining to Facebook officials being summoned by Delhi Assembly, the Supreme Court on Thursday extended the interim order and ordered status quo till further hearing on December 2.
The SC will then decide the matter as to if the Delhi Assembly can constitute a fact-finding committee in cases of law and order.
A bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and also comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari, said, "We ordered status quo in the case and our earlier order will continue till the next date of hearing, December 2."
The Centre today, submitted to the Apex Court that Delhi Assembly's Peace and Harmony Committee has no jurisdiction to enter into a fact-finding exercise regarding hate speech circulation during the Delhi violence.
The petitioners had moved the apex court challenging the two summons issued by the respondent, Legislative Assembly, NCT of Delhi and others, against them -- on September 10 and 18 -- on the grounds that they violated the fundamental rights of the petitioner under Article 19(1)(a) and Article 21, guaranteed under part III of the Indian Constitution.
The petitioners had approached the top court to quash these two summons issued by the Legislative Assembly, NCT of Delhi and others, against them.
The Peace and Harmony Committee had recently served a fresh notice for appearance to Facebook India Vice President and Managing Director, Ajit Mohan for his presence before the Committee on September 23 in connection with the alleged "intentional omission and deliberate inaction on the part of social media platform" with respect to hate speeches.