'പോറ്റിയേ കേറ്റിയേ' ഗാനം നീക്കം ചെയ്യരുത്: മെറ്റയ്ക്ക് കത്ത് നൽകി പ്രതിപക്ഷ നേതാവ്

തിരുവനന്തപുരം: 'പോറ്റിയേ കേറ്റിയേ' എന്ന പാരഡിഗാനത്തിന്റെ ലിങ്കുകൾ സമൂഹമാദ്ധ്യമങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നും നീക്കം ചെയ്യണമെന്ന പൊലീസ് നിർദ്ദേശത്തിനെതിരെ പ്രതിപക്ഷ നേതാവ് ഫേസ്ബുക്ക് കമ്പനിയായ മെറ്റയ്ക്ക് കത്തയച്ചു. കോടതിയുടെ നിർദ്ദേശം ഇല്ലാത്ത സാഹചര്യത്തിൽ ഈ ഗാനം നീക്കം ചെയ്യുന്നത് മൗലികാവകാശങ്ങളുടെ ലംഘനമാണെന്ന് കത്തിൽ ചൂണ്ടിക്കാട്ടി.

കത്ത് പൂർണ രൂപത്തിൽ
I write to bring to your attention on the reports indicating that the State Police of Kerala, Union of India, has approached social media platforms, including those operated by Meta, seeking the removal of links to a song titled “Pottiye Kettiye”, which has been circulated online in connection with the alleged gold theft at the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala.

It is understood that the Thiruvananthapuram Cyber Police, Kerala, has registered a case concerning the creation and circulation of the said song.

However, it is important to note that, as of date, there is no judicial verdict, court order, or statutory direction mandating the takedown of this content. The Supreme Court of India has consistently held that the right to freedom of speech and expression cannot be curtailed unless a clear and legally established violation of law is demonstrated.

In a democratic society governed by the rule of law, any restriction on speech—particularly artistic expressions such as parody or satire—must strictly adhere to due process. Parody and satire are well-recognised forms of expression protected under the constitutional guarantee of free speech, subject only to reasonable restrictions imposed through lawful and judicially sanctioned means.

Administrative or police requests, in the absence of a competent court order, should not form the basis for content removal, as such actions may amount to prior restraint and set an unhealthy precedent for censorship. Such measures would also risk causing irreparable harm to the creators of the content.

In these circumstances, I respectfully request Meta to refrain from removing or disabling access to links related to the said song unless and until a competent court of law issues a clear and specific directive to that effect, or unless, upon independent assessment, the content is found to be in clear violation of Meta’s Community Standards.