A file photo of Ajit Mohan, Managing Director of Facebook India. (Reuters)
Before a podium headed by Judge Sanjay K Kaul, the Peace and Harmony Committee put on record its commitment that the panel proceedings regarding the social media platform will remain suspended.
- CNN-News18 New Delhi
- Last update: September 23, 2020 10:13 PM IST
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Prompted by the Supreme Court, the Delhi Assembly panel investigating the February riots pledged not to take any enforcement action against Facebook and its vice president Ajit Mohan.
Before a podium headed by Judge Sanjay K Kaul, the Peace and Harmony Committee registered its commitment that the panel proceedings regarding the social media platform will remain suspended. The main defender Abhishek Manu Singhvi made this statement after speaking with the chairman of the committee, Raghav Chadha.
The bank has now settled the matter for October 13, asking the Committee to submit its detailed response to the joint petition from Mohan and Facebook. It has also sent notices to the central government, the Delhi police, and the secretaries of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to respond to various issues related to the powers of the legislative committees.
Previously, top advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Mohan and Facebook respectively. After listening to them, the court was persuaded to issue notices and tried to question Singhvi at a committee press conference on Aug. 31 in which Facebook’s alleged complicity in the Delhi riots was mentioned.
The court also objected to the committee’s deputy secretary’s Sept. 18 notice threatening Mohan to violate the privilege.
At the back, Singhvi said the committee has decided to postpone the meeting scheduled for today. He also stated that he wants to clarify that Mohan was asked to appear only as a witness and that there was no intention of taking any coercive action against him.
Given this, the bench replied that the senior lawyer should better advise his client and that it should also be clarified whether the statements cited in the press conference are true or not.
Despite Singhvi’s resistance, the court said it must record in its order his statement that the proceedings regarding Facebook will remain suspended until the next hearing date.
Mohan and Facebook, in their petition, disputed the authority of the panel in convening them in connection with the Delhi riots. The statement said the committee does not have constitutional powers to convene Facebook or examine issues that fall within the exclusive domain of the Center, namely surveillance, public order and communications.
“The Committee lacks the powers to summon or retain petitioners in violation of their privileges for not appearing, since such powers do not extend to compelling non-members who have not impeded or obstructed the legislative operation,” the petition states. adding that the two subpoenas dated September 10 and 18 tend to violate the fundamental rights of the petitioners to privacy and to remain silent, without implicating themselves.
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