Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh police on Thursday sent a legal notice to Twitter, asking it to remove access to the `objectionable’ content posted by Canada-based film-maker Leena Manimekalai regarding her documentary “Kaali”.
The access should be removed within 36 hours, police said, a day after registering two FIRs against the film-maker for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.
The notice, sent by Cyber Intelligence and Cyber Crime Police, Bhopal, came days after Twitter moved the Karnataka High Court against the Indian government’s orders to take down content under the IT rules.
Manimekalai kicked up a huge row recently after tweeting a poster of her documentary which showed an actress dressed as Hindu goddess Kali smoking and holding an LGBTQ flag.
The notice said the content was “unlawful” as per section 295-A of the IPC (hurting religious feelings), under which First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered against Manimekalai in Bhopal and Ratlam on Wednesday.
Twitter should “expeditiously remove access to the aforesaid illegal material/content” within 36 hours “without vitiating the evidence in any manner,” the notice added.
Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said he will write to Twitter, asking it to screen tweets aimed at hurting religious sentiments.
The BJP government in the state will also write to the Centre to issue a lookout circular against Manimekalai, he added.
On Wednesday, an FIR for hurting religious feelings was also registered against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in Bhopal over her remark that she has every right to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting deity, as each person had his or her unique way of offering prayers.
Earlier this week, Twitter moved the Karnataka High Court, challenging the Indian government’s orders to take down content under the new IT rules, saying it is an abuse of power by officials.
The US-headquartered microblogging site challenged a government order issued in June 2022, terming the blocking orders “overbroad and arbitrary”.–PTI
Also read: ‘Disproportionate use of power’ — Why Twitter has moved court & challenged govt’s censorship orders