The Delhi High Court has directed the police and social media platform X to take action against journalist Rana Ayyub for posts made between 2013 and 2017 concerning Hindu deities and Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar. The court issued notices to Ayyub, X, and the Delhi Police, seeking their responses to a petition requesting the removal of six specific posts. The matter is scheduled for further hearing, and the parties have been asked to respond by Thursday.
According to Scroll, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav stated that the issue required urgent consideration and emphasised the need for coordinated action by X, the Delhi Police, and the Union government. The petition was filed by lawyer Amita Sachdeva, who alleged that the posts in question were derogatory and could disrupt communal harmony.
The court’s observations were made while hearing Sachdeva’s plea, which specifically sought the removal of six posts and the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Ayyub. Coverage revealed that the High Court had previously directed the registration of an FIR following a similar request in January 2025, after which the police filed a case the next day.
Sachdeva’s petition claimed that Ayyub’s posts insulted Hindu deities Sita and Ram, as well as Savarkar and Hindu nationalism. The petitioner argued that these posts were inflammatory and communal in nature, and that their continued presence on X could potentially disturb public order as details emerged.
In response to the allegations, Ayyub previously stated that her posts did not violate any legal provisions and described the complaint as an attempt to silence her voice. The petition also noted that Sachdeva had approached X Corp’s Grievance Appellate Committee, which declined to remove the posts, citing the matter as sub judice according to recent reporting.
“Action is necessary in view of the highly derogatory, inflammatory and communal tweets by [Ayyub]...even [first information report] is directed to be registered against [Ayyub] on the directions of the court of competent jurisdiction,” Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav was quoted as saying.
The High Court’s notice requires Ayyub, X, and the Delhi Police to submit their responses to the petition by the specified deadline. The court has indicated that the matter will be considered with urgency, and further proceedings will depend on the responses received as the case progresses.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.