New Delhi, April 8 The Delhi High Court on Wednesday described certain tweets by journalist Rana Ayyub as "highly offensive, inflammatory, and communal" while seeking her response to a petition seeking the removal of the allegedly objectionable content from social media.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, who was hearing a lawyer's petition alleging that Ayyub's tweets insulted Hindu deities and "respected historical figures," observed that an FIR was also directed to be registered against her in relation to the tweets and called upon the Centre, Delhi Police, and X to "work together" and "take the necessary action within 24 hours."
"The matter should be heard the next day. Action is necessary in view of the highly offensive, inflammatory, and communal tweets by respondent no. 4 (Ayyub), pursuant to which an FIR has also been directed against respondent no. 4 by a court of competent jurisdiction," the court ordered.
Observing that the "matter requires consideration," the court issued notices to the Centre, Ayyub, as well as X, on the petition seeking the immediate removal of the "highly offensive, inflammatory, and communal tweets" by Ayyub.
The court also made the Delhi Police a party to the case.
Petitioner Amita Sachdeva said that she is a devout follower of Sanatan Dharm, and on her complaint, a magisterial court had already directed the registration of an FIR while holding that the journalist's tweets prima facie disclose cognisable offences under the Indian Penal Code.
The petition said that the petitioner approached X's resident grievance officer as well as the Grievance Appellate Committee for the removal of the content.
However, the committee declined to grant relief, stating that the matter was sub judice, it added.
The petitioner said that the continued public availability of the tweets has caused continuing and direct injury to her religious sentiments and violated her fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 21 (Right to life and liberty) and 25 (Freedom of religion) of the Constitution.
In January 2025, a magisterial court directed Delhi Police to register an FIR against Ayyub for allegedly making derogatory posts in 2016-17 that included "insults to Hindu deities, spreading of anti-India sentiment and incitement of religious disharmony."
In an order dated January 25, 2025, it said, "From the facts of the case, prima facie cognisable offences are made out under sections 153 A (punishment for promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc), 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 505 (statements conducing public mischief) of the IPC."