No clampdown on citizens’ expression on pandemic: Supreme Court

New Delhi: No state should clampdown on citizens communicating their grievances on social media, the Supreme Court said on Friday during a hearing related to Covid crisis in the country.

“If citizens communicate their grievances on social media or news, there is no reason to presume that’s not correct. There cannot be a clampdown on information. Let a strong message go across to all states that we will consider it a contempt of this court if any citizen is harassed for making a plea on social media/media for making pela for oxygen/beds etc. Clampdown on information contrary to basic precepts. No state can clampdown on information”, Supreme Court said.

“Let it be a message to all states that we will consider it as a contempt of this court if any citizen in the country is harassed for making a plea for a hospital bed/oxygen on social media. No state can clamp down on any information. We are in a position of a national crisis,” says Justice DY Chandrachud during a hearing on Covid crisis in the country.