Civil society organisations oppose Indore's social media ban over demonetisation

NEW DELHI: At least two civil society organisations have opposed an Indore District Magistrate's order banning criticism of the currency demonetisation on social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and so on.

Last Monday, Indore District collector P Narahari’s had asked for a ban on objectionable and inflammatory comments on social media and instant messaging services over demonetisation.

The Internet Freedom Foundation, which is a non-profit organization formed by the people who led the Save The Internet campaign for net neutrality, sent a legal notice on Tuesday to Indore’s District Collector asking him to withdraw his recent order banning “misleading and objectionable” posts on social media related to demonetisation.

The Free Software Movement of India called it "a blanket ban on any criticism of the Government on its failure to provide sufficient new notes for the old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes that it has demonetised. Clearly, having failed to remonetise the economy and putting the common man to immense hardship, the government now wants to clamp down on all criticism on its failures."

"The District Collector’s order is an overreach of the Criminal Procedure Code, and we are very concerned about the implications it has on Indians’ fundamental rights and freedom of expression. In the past, we have seen misuse of Section 144 of the CrPC--for example when the Internet was shut down in Gujarat to “prevent students from cheating” in examinations," said IFF in a statement.

It further called the move an example of "broad pre-censorship" and "heavily disproportionate to the intended objective of maintenance of public order".

Demanding that the order be withdrawn, FSMI said state and central governments have been using Section 144 arbitrarily in shutting down the internet.

"It shows the desperation of the Central and the Madhya Pradesh governments that having failed in the elementary task of providing money to the people for conducting their day to day lives, they are resorting to such draconian measures to stifle all legitimate criticism," it added.