Madras HC orders restoration of website, orders removal of controversial content

Chennai: The Madras High Court directed the Centre to restore access to the website of Tamil magazine ‘Ananda Vikatan’. The court also ordered the magazine to remove the controversial cartoon from the website.

The website had been blocked, allegedly due to a derogatory cartoon published in Vikatan’s online magazine, ‘Vikatan Plus’, of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Vikatan management stated that the Centre had blocked its website without providing any explanation, even after a formal request for clarification. In response, the magazine filed a case in the Madras High Court challenging the decision.

The case was heard by Justice Parthasarathy. During the hearing, senior advocate Vijayanarayanan, representing Vikatan, argued that the website’s blockage was an attempt to suppress media freedom rather than an issue of national sovereignty. After reviewing the case, the judge ruled in favour of Vikatan, ordering the Centre to lift the ban on the website.

The website was reportedly taken down without prior notice following a complaint by BJP Tamil Nadu President K. Annamalai regarding the cartoon, which was published on February 10. The cartoon was intended as a satirical commentary on PM Modi’s alleged silence regarding the treatment of Indian nationals deported from the US under the Trump administration.

According to reports, the deportees were transported in military planes while shackled in chains, which the cartoon sought to highlight.

Following the publication, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) instructed Internet service providers to block Vikatan’s website. This directive was issued through the Department of Telecommunications under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, a law that allows the government to block online content in the interest of sovereignty, national security, public order, or foreign relations. Since orders issued under Section 69A are confidential, neither Vikatan nor the public was provided with a copy of the directive.

The cartoon sparked controversy on social media and was subsequently brought to the attention of the Centre by K. Annamalai.

He accused Vikatan of operating as a mouthpiece of the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu. However, the Centre did not issue any public statement confirming or denying the website’s blockage.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the MIB issued the blocking order, which was then disseminated through the Department of Telecommunications to Internet service providers and telecom operators.

As a result, Vikatan’s website became inaccessible on most networks across India.

In a statement following the blocking, Vikatan reaffirmed its commitment to journalistic integrity and press freedom: “For over a century, Vikatan has stood firmly in support of freedom of expression. We have always operated with the principle of upholding free speech and will continue to do so.”

Founded over 100 years ago, Ananda Vikatan is a leading Tamil magazine known for its political and entertainment coverage. The publication also offers an online subscription-based e-magazine, Vikatan Plus, which originally published the controversial cartoon.

With the Madras High Court’s ruling, the Centre has been ordered to lift the ban on Vikatan’s website. However, the magazine must comply with the directive to remove the cartoon that triggered the controversy.

IANS