Strongly rebuking journalist Rana Ayyub for her tweets posted between 2013 and 2017, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday characterised her remarks regarding Hindu deities, Vinayak Savarkar and the Indian Army as “highly derogatory, inflammatory, and communal.”
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav noted that the “matter requires urgent consideration” and directed the Delhi Police and X (formerly Twitter), to coordinate and address the flagged content, according to Bar and Bench. The court further issued formal notices to all parties, seeking their responses before the next hearing on April 10.
The court was hearing a plea filed by ‘Sanatani’ advocate Amita Sachdeva, who sought the deletion of six tweets between 2013 and 2017, according to Bar and Bench.
One tweet in 2013 allegedly read, “Ravana didn't touch Sita even though he could. Ram didn't stand for Sita even though he should have. Ravana 1 Ram 0.” Another October 2014 tweet allegedly quoted a couplet by Ali Sardar Jafri, read, “Gareeb Sita ke ghar pe kab tak rahegi Ravan ki hukmrani, Draupadi ka libas uske badan se kab tak chhina karega.”
In 2015, Ayyub allegedly tweeted this about Savarkar: “So Veer Savarkar advocated rape as a necessary component of Hindutva nationalism.” A subsequent tweet about Savarkar also read: “Was reading Nathuram Godse's account of Savarkar & wondering if we shud continue to honour the terrorist sympathiser.”
Finally, in 2016, Ayyub allegedly posted a tweet with the picture of a boy with injuries on his face: “Dear Indian army, am guessing this young kid was quite a threat to the sovereignty of India to be blinded for life.”
Sachdeva, “a follower of Sanatan Dharma, was deeply hurt and aggrieved as the posts prima facie contain insults against Hindu Deities, revered historical figures, and are capable of promoting communal disharmony,” according to her petition. She had earlier approached the Saket Court for criminal action against Ayyub.
“Based on Sachdeva's complaint, the trial court had ordered registration of an FIR against Ayyub and directed the police to conduct an investigation. The Delhi Police later told the Court that the Tweets in question were no longer on X,” reported Bar and Bench.
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