Chandigarh, June 25 (IANS) Rajya Sabha member Vikramjit Singh Sahney has written to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw seeking urgent action against the spread of hateful, derogatory and inflammatory content targeting the Akal Takht, the Jathedars and revered Sikh institutions on social media.

“Such attempts to hurt religious sentiments and disturb communal harmony have no place in our society. I have requested immediate intervention under the provisions of the IT Act to ensure strict action against those responsible and the prompt removal of such unlawful content,” Sahney said.

He noted that the coordinated nature of the posts raised apprehensions that they were being amplified at the behest of the ruling dispensation in Punjab.

Sahney enclosed a dossier containing screenshots of objectionable posts, which he said carried abusive and provocative remarks against the Jathedar Sahib and undermined the sanctity of one of the highest Sikh institutions.

The MP said such content deeply hurt the sentiments of millions of Sikhs across India and abroad, with the potential to disturb communal harmony and public order.

He recalled that he had consistently raised the issue of online hate speech and misuse of digital platforms to spread communal hatred and targeted abuse.

“In Parliament, I introduced the Online Hate Speech (Prevention) Bill, 2024, as a Private Member’s Bill to establish a robust legal framework for preventing hate speech on digital platforms. On several occasions, I have also urged the government to strengthen institutional mechanisms to ensure that social media platforms act promptly against content that incites hatred or targets any religion or community,” Sahney said.

He added that India’s civilisational ethos was founded on mutual respect for all faiths. While freedom of expression was a cherished constitutional value, it could not extend to the vilification of religious institutions or deliberate provocation.

“Such misuse of social media not only undermines social harmony but also erodes public trust in digital platforms,” he said.

–IANS

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