No clampdown for asking help, says SC
Top court warns state govts of contempt if social media posts appealing for oxygen or beds are censured
NEW DELHI: Clampdown on social media messages for help is the worst way to deal with the Covid-19 crisis, said the Supreme Court on Thursday as it warned all state governments against taking action against those using online platforms to make appeals for arranging oxygen, essential medicines and other help.
“It is a matter of grave concerns to us. If citizens communicate their grievances either on the Internet or on social media, there cannot be a clampdown. We don’t want a clampdown of information. That’s the worst way of dealing with a crisis,” observed a bench, headed by justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud.
The bench, which included justices L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat, gave examples of various social media posts asking for help when somebody needed an oxygen cylinder or a bed in a hospital or an essential drug such as Remdesivir.
The top court was hearing a suo motu (on its own) case for devising national policy for Covid-19 management amid an unprecedented surge in Covid-19 in the second wave of the pandemic that has overwhelmed the health case infrastructure.
“To act against someone who is seeking help for oxygen or a medicine is against the basis precept,” said the bench, adding it wanted to caution all the state governments and their director generals of police (DGPs) against any action against those seeking help. “Let this message go very clearly to all states and their DGPs, we will treat this as a contempt of this court of they want a clampdown on communication. Let everyone understand that we are not projecting anyone in a bad light but looking out for help,” remarked the court.
The bench concluded its discussion on the issue by making it unequivocal: “Let information flow freely. Let us hear the voices of our citizens and not a clampdown on them.” Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Central government in the matter, agreed with the court, saying there could not be any action people who were already in distress, asking for help.
The court’s observations assume significance in the wake of a recent case lodged in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi against a 26-year-old man for allegedly
among people and urged them not to stock oxygen cylinders at home.
“We are observing misplaced bravery that corona is nothing, its a scam, we have had enough of coronavirus, I don’t need a mask, let’s party, there’s life beyond worrying over coronavirus. Laxity at any level will impact everyone in the society,” he said at a press conference.
“Then we see misplaced fear that ‘I came in contact with a case, I am infected and will surely die’, ‘I need Remdesivir just in case I get the infection’, ‘Let’s get an oxygen cylinder in advance at home’,” Agarwal said.
He underlined that fear and panic only aggravates and complicates the agony.
“Let’s not get an oxygen cylinder in advance at home,” the joint secretary said.
However, there are some alert and aware citizens also who know that chances of contracting the infection can be minimized by wearing a mask and washing hands, and believe in following the guidelines and in consulting doctors, he said.
AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria said that in the second wave of the pandemic, the rate of the rise in infection has been rapid which has put immense strain on health infrastructure for some time.
“Also, doubling of Covid-19 cases has been rapid. That should ease if turnover time reduces,” he said,