Thwart any attack on freedom of expression

Social sites like Face book, Twitter and others are the only platforms from where anybody can express. Freedom of expression is the only right that in a democratic country is enjoyed by the common people through these social sites. So, this freedom of expression of the people must be protected at all costs by the state in a democratic country. Supreme Court has rightly taken cognizance of the PIL filed by a Delhi girl against the abuse of Cyber Act 66A by the police and might of the state, reflecting in arresting the two Maharashtra girls because one had questioned through her post on Face book the shutting down of Mumbai for Balashaheb Thackeray's funeral and the other for liking it. The police lodged the complaint under Cyber Act section 66A and swung into action for the arrest of the two girls only because they had expressed their opinion on the situation prevailing in the cosmopolitan city of Mumbai . The arrest of two girls is the direct attack on freedom of expression by the police at the backing of state power. In the incident of same kind of incident where a Jadavpur University professor had expressed himself through carton and putting it online against Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Bannerjee, and subsequently he was arrested by the police at the behest of state power. These incidents, apart from others, amply reflect that our police and might of the state is blatantly misused the moment any free speech which goes against them or any powerful politician. Cyber Act gives unlimited power to police and it is also ambiguous that the police interpret it to their convenience and to establish their highhandedness. The sections of Cyber Act which give enough to scope to police to interpret in their own way need to be immediately reviewed. The Supreme Court of India is the only hope of the common people for keeping their fundamental right of expression intact in democracy. In view of Supreme Court’s observation, the Centre has also rightly issued new guidelines for arrests under a controversial provision of the IT Act that say approval from a police officer of IGP rank in metros and DCP rank in other areas will have to be sought before registering complaints under section 66A of the Act. Section 66A provides for a jail term of up to three years, and a case under it can be registered by a police station in-charge or an inspector-rank officer. The revised guidelines say the concerned police officer or police station may not register any complaints unless he or it has obtained prior approval at the level of an officer not below DCP rank in urban and rural areas and IG level in metros. Neither there should be the abuse of Cyber act against the freedom of expression nor should any expression be threatening, menacing and causing communal discord through social sites under the cover of right expression.