The petition said the apex court should intervene and stop such allegation made by some sections of media blaming Tablighi Jamaat
NEW DELHI| The Top court on Monday said they cannot pass any order that would lead to a “gag” on the media after a Muslim organisation sought to stop some section of media from allegedly giving communal colour to the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the nation.
Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said, “If it’s a question of killing or dying, your remedy is somewhere else. But if it’s a question of larger reporting then the Press Council of India has to be made a party… I think you add the Press Council as a party to your case,” while talking to petitioner Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind.
The Supreme court judges comprising of three judges Justices L Nageswara Rao and MM Shantanagoudar said, “We will not gag the press”.
The lawyer for the Muslim organisation told the top court that the media and the government have been “Constantly talking about Tablighi spreading coronavirus” the lawyers of the Muslim organisation told the supreme court judges that media and government are trying to paint it into a communal issue. “They’re publishing the names and addresses of coronavirus patients. That’s against the law,” the lawyer said.
Responding to the claims made by the lawyers of the Muslim Organisation judges said, “We want to make solid long-term measures about the news items. Once we take cognisance, people will understand. So we will not pass any interim orders. We will hear the case later.”
According to the reports, at least 9,000 people participated in the event at the Tablighi Jamaat headquarters in Nizamuddin. Many came across the borders. Out of which more than 25,500 have been taken into quarantine and 1000 are linked to the event.
The petition said apex court should intervene and stop such allegation made by some sections of media from using the Tablighi Jamaat to demonise and blame all Muslims for the rise in COVID-19 cases in India.
The plead said, “It is submitted that such reporting has triggered communal antagonism and has also perpetrated hatred, resulting in fissiparous tendencies gaining the foothold, undermining and affecting communal harmony”.
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