Days after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the state cyber department to get in touch with Wikipedia officials and ensure the removal of objectionable content against Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the Maharashtra Cyber Cell has lodged a case against 4-5 editors of the online encyclopedia for not removing the controversial content on the Maratha ruler.
According to an India Today report citing sources, the said 4-5 editors were involved in editing the objectionable content, which could cause a law and order situation in the state.
Cyber Cell had earlier asked the Wikimedia Foundation to remove the content. However, their request went unheeded and the online encyclopedia did not even reply to the notice sent by the Cyber Cell.
According to the report, over a dozen emails were sent to Wikipedia, but they could not get a response. In the notice, the department expressed its fear that the objectionable content might spark unrest among Sambhaji Maharaj's followers.
After Wikipedia failed to comply with Cyber Cell's request, a case was registered against the editors for violating Sections 69 and 79 of the IT Act.
The controversy over Wikipedia's content arose following the release of the Bollywood film "Chhava," which depicts the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Maratha empire founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In the movie, Vicky Kaushal played the role of Sambhaji Maharaj, while Rashmika Mandanna portrayed Maharani Yesubai.
Recognising the seriousness of the matter, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis instructed the Cyber Cell to promptly reach out to Wikipedia, emphasising that the distortion of historical facts on open-source platforms would not be tolerated.
