Maharashtra CM orders police to get ‘objectionable’ content about Sambhaji removed from Wikipedia

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said he has instructed the state cyber police to contact online encyclopaedia Wikipedia and get allegedly objectionable content about 17th-century Maratha ruler Sambhaji removed.

“We condemn the controversial things written about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on Wikipedia,” Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai. “We have asked the inspector general of the cyber cell to speak to Wikipedia and ensure that all such statements are removed from Wikipedia.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader said that historical facts must be “properly projected” and that “any distortion” would not be tolerated.

“People have the freedom of expression, but this freedom has its limits,” Fadnavis said. “When indecency crosses its limits, it becomes necessary to take action. We are holding discussions with the Centre on whether guidelines in this regard can be framed.”

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued a notice to Wikipedia under the Information Technology Act, claiming that certain references to Sambhaji on the platform were inaccurate and lacked “proper references or sources”. It said that the content was inciting hatred as “Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is highly revered in India”.

Wikipedia is a free online collaborative encyclopaedia edited by volunteers. It is hosted by the United States-based non-profit Wikimedia Foundation.

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