'Insulting Lord Ram, Sita': Google tells HC why Dhruve Rathee's video was witheld
Google informed the Delhi High Court that it withheld a video by influencer Dhruv Rathee in India following a government directive. The video was flagged for allegedly insulting Hindu deities and hurting religious sentiments.
Why it matters
The case highlights the ongoing tension between digital platform content moderation, government censorship, and freedom of speech in India.
NEW DELHI: Google on Tuesday told the Delhi high court that it had withheld a "defamatory" YouTube video by social media influencer Dhruv Rathee in India after being directed to do so by the Centre's Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC). The video allegedly hurt "religious sentiments" and contained statements "insulting Bhagwan Shri Ram, Bhagwan Shri Krishna and Sita Devi."Google, which owns YouTube, made the submission before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma while hearing a petition filed by lawyer Amita Sachdeva.Sachdeva alleged that Rathee had published a highly derogatory and communally sensitive video on March 21, which garnered millions of views on YouTube and contained "false, misleading, and provocative statements insulting Bhagwan Shri Ram, Bhagwan Shri Krishna and Sita Devi," news agency PTI reported.The video has been withheld only in India, while the issue of blocking it globally is pending before a…
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