The Supreme Court Friday said the Centre's guidelines on regulating social media do not have any provision for taking appropriate action against digital platforms showing inappropriate content. It also granted protection from arrest to Amazon Prime Video's India head Aparna Purohit in FIRs lodged over web series Tandav.

A bench comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and R S Reddy also issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on Purohit's plea for anticipatory bail in FIRs on Tandav series.

The apex court observed that the Centre's regulations on social media are mere guidelines and do not have provision for any action against digital platforms.

"There is no mechanism to control social media platforms. Without legislation you (government ) cannot control it,” the apex court said, as quoted by NDTV.

"We have gone through your rules and it does not have any teeth. No power for prosecution. No mechanism to control violations," Justice Ashok Bhushan said while going through the guidelines.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the Government will consider appropriate steps and any regulation or legislation on it will be placed before court.

The court also directed Purohit to make Centre as a party to her plea.

On Thursday, the SC said that some OTT platforms were screening pornography and backed monitoring of content, asking the government to place before it within a day the recent rules regulating such video-streaming services.

“Mr Mehta, please submit the regulations on OTT platforms. We are of the view that there should be some screening of OTT content. At times, they are showing pornography too. We are of the view that some screening should take place. In fact some platforms even show pornography,” Justice Bhushan told Mehta, appearing for the Centre, while hearing Purohit’s plea.

Purohit has moved the apex court against an Allahabad High Court order dated February 25 rejecting her anticipatory bail plea as she feared arrest by Uttar Pradesh police over multiple FIRs registered against her and some of the principal actors of the series for hurting religious sentiments.

Tandav is a nine-episode political thriller starring Bollywood A-listers Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub.

Purohit has been accused of inappropriate depiction of Uttar Pradesh police personnel, Hindu deities and an adverse portrayal of a character playing the prime minister in the web series.