Human Rights Defenders Data Information Knowledge Solidarity
HRDs must counter State's offensive of intimidating ordinary people, from expressing their opinion on social media or on various issues . Lawyers as well as Journalists, and youtubers bring these cases up in the public eye in order to youth to feel more secure speaking out.. This series we will document case law as well as reports through links to documents, reports from various websites and Blogs and Posts of HRDs. This is also an attempt to publicise all the dirty tricks State have been using. This is a contributory effort..
FIR against Neha Rathore, questions asked to PM modi on Pahalgam Terrorist Attack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhEog2P7lE8
The Public India Bhojpuri folk singer Neha Singh Rathore faces an FIR in Lucknow for her social media posts questioning PM Narendra Modi and the government's handling of the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 lives. Her video, alleging security failures and political exploitation of the tragedy ahead of Bihar elections, went viral, even being shared on Pakistani platforms, leading to accusations of anti-national remarks. Join us as we dive into the controversy, exploring the debate around freedom of expression versus national responsibility. What are your thoughts?

India tops in internet shutdowns globally for the fifth consecutive year: Report
01 March,2023
With more than 800 million internet users, India has the second-largest digital population in the world, after China. The internet connects the country’s remote rural areas with cities
https://www.newsclick.in/india-tops-internet-shutdown-globally-5th-consecutive-year Out of 187 shutdowns across 35 countries last year, 84 were ordered in India, including 49 in J&K, according to Internet advocacy watchdog Access Now.
Full report https://www.accessnow.org/cms/assets/uploads/2023/02/KeepItOn-2022-Report.pdf
Although Access Now counted fewer than 100 shutdowns in India for the first time since 2017, it is “not convinced” that the government has “embarked on the path towards positive sustained change regarding digital rights”.
“Legal challenges against shutdowns, fewer mass protests in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sustained and increasing crackdown on dissent may have increased administrative friction or reduced the incentives for authorities to impose shutdowns,” the report adds.
The group also feels all disruptions in India in 2022 weren’t recorded due to the government’s “persistent failure to publicly release shutdown orders in violation of the Supreme Court’s judgment” and the “technical challenges in monitoring, tracking, and recording shutdowns—in particular in communities where shutdowns are an emerging issue”.
To invoke Section 153A of the IPC, the statements must be "judged on the basis of what reasonable and strong-minded persons will think" and not on the basis of the "views of hypersensitive persons who smell danger in every hostile point of view".
Ruling in favour of a Pune-based Congress worker who staged a protest outside Maharashtra’s higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil’s residence, the Bombay high court on Monday observed that the right to express one’s views is a protected and cherished right in India’s democracy and cannot be taken away merely by accusing a person of threatening harmony.
01/03/2023
- 'Tis the Season of Literary Events – And Censorship
- Neha Singh Rathore
- A new phase of censorship creep in India
- Rana Ayyub award
- For Speaking an Unpleasant Truth, Will Amitabh Bachchan Now Be Called an Enemy of the People?
- If Journalism falters, Democracy falls: Justice B.N. Srikrishna
- why we only read critical reports about big business in the foreign press or independent media
- The Wire - Meta Face0ff
- English courts get new powers to dismiss Slapp cases against reporters
- Saket Gokhale detained by Gujarat Police in Jaipur for tweet about Morbi bridge collapse
Subcategories
BAIL
For UAPA articles under
Free Speech
Ban on films, documentaries by Government e.g documentary on PM by BBC. Debate on censorship, opinion, statements by media people, leaders, screening of film on Modi at universities etc.
Corporate Behaviour and Free Speech
In a defamation case against Paranjoy Thakurta, a court has order, issued on September 6, directed the removal of defamatory content from their respective articles and social media posts within five days. In the suit filed by Adani Enterprises Ltd, seen by HT, the allegedly defamatory material includes transcripts of YouTube videos, screenshots of X posts by journalists, and images of their X profiles.https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/mib-issues-takedown-notices-to-13-digital-news-publishers-over-adani-defamation-case/ar-AA1MIjBR
Based on this, The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) on Tuesday issued takedown notices to 13 digital news publishers on YouTube and Instagram for disseminating defamatory content related to Adani Enterprises Ltd.The ministry’s order names journalists, media houses, and creators — including Newslaundry, Ravish Kumar, Dhruv Rathee, The Wire, HW News Network, and Aakash Banerjee’s The Deshbhakt — who have received a list of 138 YouTube video URLs and 83 Instagram links to be taken down.

