Delhi Riots- Facebook India VP's Challenge against Delhi Assembly Summons: Live Updates From Supreme Court

Salve: Mr. Chadha cannot give me an opportunity of being heard. Complainants cannot give such opportunities. This is a muddle of issues.

Salve: But here, this is a politically polarized debate and I don’t want to be a part of this. Look at this from Mr. Mohan’s point of view. He doesn’t run Facebook. He works for an American company, he will be in trouble if he puts forth his views on India’s government.

Salve: Sec. 69 of the IT Act states a proper procedure for complaints. We are answerable completely. That’s a statutory mechanism under which I function. If I don’t go there I will be in serious trouble. I elect to go there.

J. Roy: Facebook as an organization, if there is a complaint to the nodal agency, then you will be answerable and you said you are answerable to them? But the action of committee is not an exercise which is legitimate?

Salve: Yes your lordships.

Salve: There is a political polarization because one view is that the posts of BJP and sangh parivar and not taken down but anti BJP posts are taken down. I don’t want to go there.

J. Kaul: It can only be a voluntary endeavour and not a compelling one.

Salve: This is why I took your lordships time to go through WSJ articles, allegations etc. today the situation has become so polarized that me replying on things becomes unpleasant. I don’t want to get into this.

J. Kaul: For ascertainment of views anyone can be asked. That’s the reason I asked you at a threshold you don’t want to appear or I may or may not answer the questions.

Salve: I am not saying that any court will control the functioning of the house. But the committee is outside the house. Your privilege is to work under the core functions of the house.

J. Roy: Through this preposition you are trying to say that since the summoning is by a committee which is not the house, it is not covered by the privilege.

J. Kaul: The emphasis is more on the subject matter of committee and not on how different the committee is from the house.