New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has ordered the immediate removal of a controversial song featuring Yo Yo Honey Singh and Badshah from all streaming and digital platforms, calling its lyrics “grossly vulgar” and derogatory towards women, according to a report by LiveLaw.
The order was passed by Justice Purushaindra Kaurav while hearing a plea to delete Volume 1, which was originally released under the tagline ‘Mafia Mundeer’.
The court strongly noted that the content of the song was so explicit that even its title could not be recorded in a formal court order. After reviewing the texts in chambers, the court noted that the case was one of the rare cases where his “conscience was shaken to the core”.
The court said the lyrics were ex facie obscene, degrading and dehumanizing towards women, adding that the content lacked any artistic, literary or social value. He further noted that such material reduces women to objects of ridicule and reflects a complete disregard for basic social norms.
The Supreme Court directed strict action and ordered the singers as well as any individual or entity holding the rights to the song or its derivative versions to immediately remove all URLs hosting the song. This includes availability across streaming platforms, social media handles, video sharing websites and other online mediums where the song may have been uploaded or shared.
The court made it clear that the wide availability of such content – including to minors – makes the problem more serious. He stressed that freedom of speech and artistic expression cannot be used as a shield to justify content that violates minimum standards of decency in society.
The bench also pointed out that the monetization and mass circulation of such material on digital platforms exacerbates the concern as it allows objectionable content to reach a much wider audience without adequate checks.
The petition in the case was filed by the Hindu Shakti Dal, which demanded the removal of both the audio and video versions of the song from major platforms such as YouTube, Google and Spotify.
The court granted liberty to the petitioner to compile and submit a list of other links bearing the song, including remixes and altered versions, to the Union Government. The authorities have been directed to issue necessary instructions to the intermediaries to block or remove such content.
In addition, a submitter can use the complaint resolution mechanisms provided by digital platforms to report newly discovered URLs. In case of ambiguities, mediators have the option to ask the government for an explanation.
The counsel for the center assured the court that appropriate action would be taken without delay after receiving a complaint or verified links related to the song.
The next hearing of the case is scheduled for May 7.
The regulation adds to the growing judicial scrutiny of online content in India, particularly in cases where courts are asked to balance the right to freedom of expression with concerns about obscenity, gender sensitivity and public decency in the digital space.
