The Delhi High Court on Friday observed that the Union government has the authority to direct social media intermediaries to take action against viral posts falsely claiming that Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, several Supreme Court judges and Union ministers travelled to London earlier this month to participate in a badminton tournament using public funds.

Justice Tejas Karia made the oral observations while hearing a petition filed by the Badminton Association of India (BAI), which sought the removal of social media content alleging that a large Indian delegation comprising senior judges and government ministers had attended a badminton event in the United Kingdom. The court reserved its order after hearing arguments from both the Centre and the petitioner.

Representing the Union government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the posts circulating online were “completely false and misleading” and appeared intended to create a fabricated narrative surrounding the visit of certain constitutional functionaries to the United Kingdom. The Centre argued that the content lacked any factual basis and had contributed to the spread of misinformation on social media platforms.

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The government further submitted that despite efforts to publicly clarify the facts, the misinformation campaign continued to gain traction online. It contended that corrective statements had failed to curb the circulation of the claims, necessitating intervention to prevent further dissemination of inaccurate information involving high-ranking constitutional authorities.

According to the Badminton Association of India, the posts alleged that Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju were among those who had participated in a badminton tournament in London. The petitioner maintained that the claims were untrue and sought directions for the removal of the content from social media platforms.

The case highlights growing concerns over the rapid spread of misinformation on digital platforms and the challenges authorities face in countering false narratives involving public institutions and constitutional office-bearers. The Delhi High Court is expected to issue its order after considering the submissions made by the parties during the hearing.

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