New Delhi: A Muslim organisation Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking a final hearing of its 2020 PIL which had sought a direction to the Centre to stop the dissemination of fake news and strict action against a section of media for allegedly spreading communal hatred by portraying Tablighi Jamaat congregation as a reason for the spread of COVID-19.
Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind, on whose plea the apex court has issued notices to the Centre and others including the Press Council of India in May 2020, has sought an urgent hearing of its plea in the backdrop of upcoming assembly polls in five states.
It is submitted that the present matter has assumed particular importance because elections to the Legislative Assemblies of five states are being conducted presently.
The dissemination of hate speech during electoral campaigns poses a grave threat to the peace and harmony in the country. The Applicants/Petitioners humbly submit that this court needs to give specific directions to control the dissemination of fake news and hate speeches and the matter needs to be heard urgently, said the plea which was filed through lawyer Ejaz Maqbool.
The dissemination of fake news and hate speech poses a grave danger to the lives and liberties of a large section of citizens, it said, adding that the PIL was last listed for hearing on September 02, last year and since then, it has not come up for hearing.
The date on the case status on the website keeps changing constantly. The present status for the listing of the matter as per the website of this court is February 9, it said.