'Will ask govt to block Wikipedia': Delhi HC pulls up Wikimedia

The Delhi High Court has pulled up Wikimedia Foundation Inc., the organization behind Wikipedia for failing to disclose information regarding the edits made on the Wikipedia page of the Indian news agency, Asian News International (ANI).

Justice Navin Chawla on Thursday gave a stern warning to the US-based organization saying, "If you don't like India, don't work here", Live Law reported.

Justice Chawla issued a contempt notice to Wikimedia, and said, "We will ask the government to block Wikipedia".

The Indian news agency has filed a defamation case against Wikimedia over allegedly defamatory content on its Wikipedia page this year.

Following this, the high court issued a summon to Wikimedia on 9 July. Wikimedia appeared before the court on 20 August. As per the ANI's case, Wikipedia did not dispute that three individuals, who were made defendants in the defamation suit, were not administered on the platform, Live Law reported.

Considering the said submission, the court directed Wikipedia to disclose the ANI subscriber details of the three individuals available within two weeks.

ANI filed a contempt plea against Wikimedia for not complying with the order. The news agency has also sought Rs 2 crore as damages from the company.

The court has asked an authorized representative of Wikipedia to remain present before the court on the next day of the hearing.

Wikipedia page mentioned that ANI has been "criticized for having served as a propaganda tool for the incumbent central government, distributing materials from a vast network of fake news websites and misreporting events".

ANI in its suit added that the Wikimedia Foundation has allegedly published false and defamatory content with the malicious intent of tarnishing the image of the news agency.

The next hearing of the case is on 25 October.