An advocate on Tuesday sent a legal notice to
mobile messaging app WhatsApp, asking it to remove the "middle
finger" emoji within 15 days.
Gurmeet Singh, who practises as a lawyer in
city courts here, said showing the middle finger is not only illegal but an
obscene and lewd gesture -- an offence in India.
In the notice, the advocate said:
"...showing of middle finder is not only offensive but a highly
belligerent, invasive, obscene, lewd gesture."
As per the Indian Penal Code Sections 354 and
509, it is an offence to show obscene, lewd, offensive gestures to females. Use
of a lewd, offensive, obscene gesture by anyone is hereby illegal also as
aforesaid. As per section 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994
showing of the middle finger is also an offence in Ireland," Singh stated
in his notice.
"By offering to use middle finger emoji in your
app, you (WhatsApp Inc) are directly abetting the use of offensive, lewd,
obscene gesture," the notice said. Emoji is a small digital image or icon
used to express an idea or emotion.