Amid the raging debate over ban on porn sites in India, the government on Monday, August 10, told Supreme Court that while child pornography must be banned, it (government) cannot become a totalitarian state adding “We cannot be present in everyone’s bedroom.”
Hearing a petition asking for a ban on porn sites in India, Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi said that a larger debate was required in the society or in Parliament on banning porn sites altogether.
“Child pornography has to be banned. However we cannot become a totalitarian state,” the government’s top lawyer argued, NDTV reported.
Last week, the government drew flak from people on social media and other circles after it ordered a blanket blocking of over 850 adult content websites on grounds of morality and decency. However, the backlash forced the government to partially withdraw its order and ban sites with child pornographic content only.
The ban order had come after an Indore-based lawyer Kamlesh Vaswani filed the petition seeking a ban on porn websites in India. His lawyer Vijay Punjwani told NDTV, “The activity of pornography, from the first shot to the viewing is completely criminal. It should be banned like using drugs is banned.”
Last month, Chief Justice of India HL Dattu had declined to pass an interim order to block porn websites while hearing the petition. He said the court could not stop an adult from exercising his fundamental right to personal liberty to watch porn within the privacy of his room.
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