Sunny Kapikad’s Sabarimala remarks: HC asks Meta to remove video on Rahul Easwar’s plea
The Kerala High Court has directed Meta to temporarily block and disable public access to a Facebook video over remarks made by Dalit writer and activist Sunny M Kapikad during a speech on Sabarimala. The direction was issued on a petition filed by activist Rahul Easwar, who alleged that the video contained vulgar and sexually explicit references to Lord Ayyappa and Malikappurathamma.Justice G Girish passed the interim order on Thursday, September 10, after viewing the video in open court.“I have viewed the objectionable video today, with the assistance of the technical staff of this court, in open court. It appears that the allegation of the petitioner herein about the scandalous and indecent speech made… about the deities of Sabarimala temple, is found to be substantiated,” the court said while hearing the plea.The court said it found substance in Easwar’s allegation that the video contained indecent references to the Sabarimala deities, and observed that its continued availability could hurt the religious sentiments of devotees. It directed Meta to block and disable access to the video at the specific URL mentioned in the petition.Meta’s counsel Thomas P Kuruvilla told the court that the platform’s present mechanism does not allow it to identify and disable every instance of a video if the same content is subsequently uploaded or circulated through other posts. He sought that the order be confined to the URL cited by the petitioner.Easwar’s counsel PT Sheejish said he would check whether the same content was available through other URLs as well. He argued that Kapikad’s remarks were derogatory and had offended the sentiments of people who hold the deity in religious reverence.The petition also seeks police action against Kapikad. A case had already been registered against him by the Tirur police following complaints over the remarks.Kapikad has since expressed regret over the words he used in the speech, while disputing that he had intended to insult Lord Ayyappa, Malikappurathamma or devotees.In his clarification, Kapikad said he regretted the language used in his speech and acknowledged that he should have been more careful with his choice of words. He said his statement was not made in the context of the case and that he would exercise greater caution in future.Kapikad also maintained that the point he was making was about attempts to portray Ayyappa as a problematic figure and alleged that there were instances of cheating, fraud and conspiracies centred around temples. He said he continued to stand by that broader position and would face the case legally.Several organisations, including office-bearers of the Pandalam palace, the Hindu Aikya Vedi’s Pandalam municipal committee, the Thiruabharana Patha Samrakshana Samithi and the state committee of the Travancore Devaswom Employees Front, had earlier approached the police seeking action against Kapikad.The matter will come up before the High Court again after three weeks.
THE Kerala High Court has directed Meta to temporarily block and disable public access to a Facebook video over remarks made by Dalit writer and activist Sunny M Kapikad during a speech on Sabarimala.
The direction was issued on a petition filed by activist Rahul Easwar, who alleged that the video contained vulgar and sexually explicit references to Lord Ayyappa and Malikappurathamma.
Justice G Girish passed the interim order on Thursday, September 10, after viewing the video in open court.
“I have viewed the objectionable video today, with the assistance of the technical staff of this court, in open court. It appears that the allegation of the petitioner herein about the scandalous and indecent speech made… about the deities of Sabarimala temple, is found to be substantiated,” the court said while hearing the plea.
The court said it found substance in Easwar’s allegation that the video contained indecent references to the Sabarimala deities, and observed that its continued availability could hurt the religious sentiments of devotees. It directed Meta to block and disable access to the video at the specific URL mentioned in the petition.
Meta’s counsel Thomas P Kuruvilla told the court that the platform’s present mechanism does not allow it to identify and disable every instance of a video if the same content is subsequently uploaded or circulated through other posts. He sought that the order be confined to the URL cited by the petitioner.
Easwar’s counsel PT Sheejish said he would check whether the same content was available through other URLs as well. He argued that Kapikad’s remarks were derogatory and had offended the sentiments of people who hold the deity in religious reverence.
The petition also seeks police action against Kapikad. The Tirur police had already registered a case against him following complaints about the remarks.
Kapikad has since expressed regret over the words he used in the speech, while disputing that he had intended to insult Lord Ayyappa, Malikappurathamma or devotees.
In his clarification, Kapikad said he regretted the language used in his speech and acknowledged that he should have been more careful with his choice of words. He said his statement was not made in the context of the case and that he would exercise greater caution in future.
Kapikad also maintained that the point he was making was about attempts to portray Ayyappa as a problematic figure and alleged that there were instances of cheating, fraud and conspiracies centred around temples. He said he continued to stand by that broader position and would face the case legally.
Several organisations, including office-bearers of the Pandalam palace, the Hindu Aikya Vedi’s Pandalam municipal committee, the Thiruabharana Patha Samrakshana Samithi and the state committee of the Travancore Devaswom Employees Front, had earlier approached the police seeking action against Kapikad.
The matter will come up before the High Court again after three weeks.
