Delhi High Court Summons Wikipedia Over Defamation Claims by ANI
- M.R Mishra
- Jul 10, 2024
- 1 min read
The Delhi High Court summoned Wikipedia on July 9, 2024, following a defamation lawsuit filed by news agency ANI. ANI's lawsuit alleges that Wikipedia permitted defamatory edits on its page, characterizing ANI as a "propaganda tool for the incumbent central government." ANI argues that this description, along with other controversial statements on the page, is defamatory and misleading.
Justice Navin Chawla issued the summons and notice concerning ANI's interim relief plea, with the next hearing set for August 20.
ANI's Wikipedia page includes several contentious claims:
ANI is criticized as a propaganda tool for the central government.
Under new management, ANI allegedly focuses on aggressive journalism aimed at maximum revenue, with poor employee treatment.
A 2020 EU DisinfoLab investigation accused ANI of publishing anti-Pakistan and anti-China content from pro-India fake news websites.
ANI has been accused of misreporting events by fact-checkers certified by the International Fact-Checking Network.
ANI allegedly falsely blamed Muslims for sexual assaults during the 2023 Manipur violence.
ANI asserts these statements are false and damaging, accusing Wikipedia of malicious intent to defame the news agency. ANI's advocate, Sidhant Kumar, claimed that Wikipedia restricts edits on ANI's page to its representatives, hindering ANI's ability to correct the information.
The court acknowledged ANI's concerns but noted that Wikipedia is entitled to its opinions. The legitimacy of ANI's claims will be assessed in due course.
"Ultimately, they are entitled to their opinion; whether they have the backing of facts will be examined," stated the court.
The legal proceedings will continue, with a focus on determining the validity of ANI's defamation allegations against Wikipedia.
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