Hyderabad, Jan 10: The Andhra Pradesh high court has dismissed a petition seeking directions to YouTube to remove controversial speeches of Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi from the popular website.
A division bench comprising Sanjay Kumar and L Narasimha Reddy said the court could not interfere as the matter relates to freedom of expression. The court advised the petitioner to move the YouTube office in New York, if he had any objection to the site's content.
JVS Rama Rao, an advocate, had filed the petition on the basis that that the circulation of the alleged hate speeches over YouTube might create law and order problems.
The petitioner said the speeches were highly inflammatory and hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community.
Akbaruddin Owaisi, a member of the Andhra Pradesh assembly, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with a speech he had made at Nirmal town in Adilabad district.
A court in Nirmal sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.