X sends takedown notice to journalist over Ram Navami hate videos

Mumbai: A journalist has been asked to remove videos documenting a Ram Navami procession in Mumbai after they were flagged for containing hate-filled content. However, the journalist, Kunal Purohit, has refused to comply, stating that his work is simply documenting hate, not promoting it.

Purohit, an independent reporter, posted videos on X (formerly Twitter) showing a Ram Navami procession outside Mumbai International Airport. In the videos, some participants can be heard shouting derogatory slogans against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Purohit described the videos as “songs that threaten brutal violence against Muslims,” according to a police official from Sahar police station.

The social media platform X sent a notice to Purohit, informing him that Mumbai police had raised concerns regarding the videos, claiming they violated India’s Information Technology Act. “In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a request from Mumbai police regarding your X account, @kunalpurohit, that claims the following content violates India’s Information Technology Act,” the platform’s notice stated.

In response, Purohit took to X to publicly refuse the request. “Dear @MumbaiPolice: fight hate, not journalism. Received this notice from @X about taking down my videos of Mumbai’s hate-filled #RamNavami rally. Documenting hate is journalism. I won’t be taking down these videos. I have asked @Support to provide me a copy of the notice,” he posted.

Meanwhile, Zone VIII Deputy Commissioner of Police, Manish Kalwaniya, confirmed that an FIR had been filed against three individuals under sections 296 (obscene act and song) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The FIR relates to the use of loudspeakers during the Ram Navami procession, which traveled from Andheri Kurla Road to Airport Road Metro Station, where obscene songs were played. The investigation is ongoing.

With PTI inputs