Remove Objectionable Content or Face Legal Action: Katju

Remove objectionable content or face legal action, warned Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju. Speaking to media, he said that social networking sites like Facebook and Google should be ready to face legal action on failure to remove objectionable content uploaded on them. "I have seen the content on these sites and found them to be highly objectionable which may disrupt social harmony. If they fail to check these contents, then they should be ready to face legal action," Justice Katju said.

Supporting fully the view of Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on the issue of regulating and putting a check on content of these social sites, Justice Katju did not agree with the argument of these sites that it is not possible to remove objectionable content from being uploaded in huge quantity daily. He was also critical about the news content in both print and electronic media, for overlooking "real issues" like poverty and farmers suicides and focusing on stars giving birth to a child or death of an actor. On his remarks against media, Justice Katju said that he is not a "dictator" and hoped that one day he would be able to convince other members of the Council about his viewpoints.