The Delhi High Court on Thursday said it will issue directions for removing allegedly defamatory posts and videos on social media about Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gaurav Bhatia’s appearance on a television news show earlier this month, Live Law reported.

A bench of Justice Amit Bansal added that if the posts are not removed by the users who uploaded them, intermediary platforms such as Google and X that host the content would be directed to take them down, Bar and Bench reported.

Bhatia had appeared on a News18 programme hosted by journalist Amish Devgan, during which a camera shot showed him wearing a kurta without pyjamas or pants. The video clip was circulated widely on social media.

Bhatia later said he had been wearing shorts.

On Tuesday, advocate Raghav Awasthi, appearing for Bhatia, argued that the image had been “taken in the privacy” of Bhatia’s home and should not have been circulated without his consent.

He also highlighted that Bhatia was most disturbed by posts referencing “male private parts” and the use of offensive words by the Samajwadi Party social media unit, Live Law reported.

“Such words are not to be used in public discourse,” Awasthi said.

During the hearing on Thursday, Bhatia told the court that the posts could not be classified as free speech and amounted to defamation, Bar and Bench reported.

“I stand before you because reputation is earned over decades,” he said. “This cannot be freedom of speech, this cannot be humour and satire if you go to this extent to defame a person who has earned his reputation through hard work.”

The defamation suit named 22 defendants, including Samajwadi Party’s social media unit, Congress leader Ragini Nayak, Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, journalist Abhisar Sharma, news outlets like Newslaundry and News18, as well as social media content creators including Rofl Gandhi, Ranting Gola and others.

Besides, Google and X were named as intermediary platforms hosting the content.

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