Odisha NGO takes LinkedIn, Microsoft to court over ‘silencing social justice voices’
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha-based Sadaqat Welfare Foundation has accused LinkedIn and its parent company Microsoft of arbitrarily restricting the account of its founder, Manoj Kumar Das, alleging that the move silenced Dalit, Adivasi, minority, and migrant worker voices the NGO represents.
Das’s LinkedIn account, with over 36,000 followers, was restricted on March 11, 2025, despite assurances after a prior restoration that no action would be taken without further violations. He said LinkedIn kept changing the reasons for the suspension, from “suspicious activity” to “authentication issues” and eventually “policy violation”, without citing a specific rule.
The NGO has called the restriction a violation of constitutional and digital rights and has authorised legal action, including writ petitions, criminal proceedings, and a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding safeguards against arbitrary account suspensions.
Das alleged that LinkedIn failed to follow India’s IT Rules, 2021, despite over 2,000 grievance emails, including 500 to the platform’s appointed officer, Tanya Mampilly. He said the lack of redressal not only violated Indian law but also the Santa Clara Principles on transparency and accountability, which LinkedIn has signed.
Frustrated by months of silence, Das went on an indefinite hunger strike in June but had to withdraw due to health issues. He accused the company of causing reputational, psychological, and economic harm, leaving his NGO defunct and the communities he worked with unsupported.
Das has also linked the action to his online posts on Palestine, crimes against minorities, and human rights violations in India. “When Big Tech silences social justice voices without due process, it is not just corporate action, it is an attack on fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution,” he said.
The NGO plans to pursue writ petitions before the Odisha High Court, possible criminal charges, and a compensation claim while collaborating with digital rights groups.
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Karnataka School Edu Dept prohibits children from being made to dance to obscene songs
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.
It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.
"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.
"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.
The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.
Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.
