Delhi Assembly can't examine alleged role of Facebook in Delhi riots, Centre tells SC

The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that Delhi Assembly’s Peace and Harmony Committee has no jurisdiction to enter into a fact finding exercise regarding hate speech circulation during Delhi riots in February.

It said the entire proceedings of the committee was without jurisdiction since the issues involved here pertaines to policing and law and order which did not fall within the purview of the Delhi government.

Facebook's Vice-president Ajit Mohan, led by senior advocate Harish Salve, for his part, submitted before a bench presided over by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul he did not want to appear before the committee for probe into Delhi riots and alleged role of Facebook.

"I am not willing to go before them. Facebook only provides a platform. It does not write anything," Salve also representing Facebook, told the court.

The bench said these issues will need to be thrashed out. Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Delhi Assembly's Secretary submitted that this matter will have to be decided one way or the other.

The court gave time to all parties file their replies and rejoinders and put the matter for detailed hearing on December 2.

The court was informed the committee which had deferred its meeting would not take any adverse action.

The committee headed by AAP MLA Raghav Chadha, was formed on March 2, 2020 following the Delhi Riots, as "serious questions have been raised on the role of Facebook platform as a mechanism to disseminate hate and divisiveness".

The Facebook official had declined to comply with summons claiming his right to silence.