The Delhi High Court has ordered a complete ban on the song ‘Volume 1’ by Yo Yo Honey Singh and Badshah, calling it deeply vulgar and derogatory towards women. The Court directed all platforms to remove the song and ensure that even clips or lyrics do not appear online.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday passed a strict order directing the Central government, social media platforms, and music streaming platforms to block the controversial and explicit song “Volume 1” linked to singers Yo Yo Honey Singh and Badshah. The Court said that the song must be removed completely from the internet and even small clips or lyrics from the song should not be available to the public on any platform.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav passed a blanket ban on the song and made it clear that the authorities must ensure complete removal of the content from all social media and online platforms. The Court took a very serious view of the lyrics and content of the song and said that such material cannot be allowed in a civilised society.
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During the hearing, the Court made its position very clear and said,
“In whatever forms this song is available on social media platforms, it has to be taken down is clearly the opinion. No one can deny this. We cannot allow even the slightest of it to be on social media,”
the Court said.
Justice Kaurav also informed that he had personally listened to the song in his chambers and said that this was an extremely serious matter. The Court observed that this was one of the rare cases where the content of a song had shocked the conscience of the Court. The judge said it is one of the rarest cases where the
“conscience of the court is shocked to its absolute core”.
The Court further observed that the song is obscene and highly derogatory towards women and does not contain any artistic or social value. The Court stressed that such content cannot be allowed to exist on digital platforms and reach the public, especially the younger generation.
The Court strongly criticised the lyrics of the song and recorded in its order,
“The lyrics are not only offensive, but they are ex facie dehumanising and try to normalise the treatment of women as objects of ridicule and sexual gratification,”
the Bench recorded in its order.
The Court also noted that Honey Singh had recently sung some lines of the song during a concert. Taking note of this, the Court issued notice to both Honey Singh and Badshah and directed them to remove the song from their social media accounts and all online platforms where it is available.
The order was passed after a petition was filed by an organisation named Hindu Shakti Dal, which sought a ban on the song due to its explicit and objectionable content. The Court accepted the concerns raised in the petition and issued detailed directions to ensure that the song is completely removed from the internet.
The Court also directed that if the petitioner finds any links or URLs where the song or its remix versions are available, they can inform the government and social media companies, and immediate action must be taken to block such content. The Court granted liberty to the petitioner to prepare and submit a list of such URLs to the Union of India so that necessary steps can be taken for immediate removal.
The song “Volume 1” was released around two decades ago and had become very popular, but it also faced heavy criticism for its explicit lyrics and alleged misogyny. The song has also been part of a long-running dispute between Honey Singh and Badshah, who were once part of the Mafia Mundeer group. Badshah had earlier accused Honey Singh of sidelining other collaborators and taking undue credit, while Honey Singh denied these allegations.
With this order, the Delhi High Court has made it clear that obscene and derogatory content, especially content that disrespects women, will not be tolerated on digital platforms, and authorities must take immediate action to remove such content from public access.
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