Journalist Aarti Tikoo's Twitter account restored

Journalist Aarti Tikoo's Twitter account has been restored, two days after the Delhi High Court issued notice on Tikoo's plea against the social media platform's decision to suspend her account..She took to Facebook to announce the news, stating that the social media giant has 'accepted defeat'."Twitter today restored my access to my account after having blocked it for three weeks. It has also restored my tweet which it had labeled as ‘hateful conduct’ ... Twitter Inc. probably realized that this legal battle would cost them dearly not just in India but across the world. So to save its face, Twitter has made a tactical retreat," the post said.While claiming she has won, Tikoo stated that the "matter does not end here" as she believes the battle is not about Twitter arbitrarily blocking her account. "Twitter has abused its power by blocking, suspending and labeling far too many Indians and far too many times that this issue can be given up just because they have restored my account. I will launch a new battle for the sake of other fellow citizens and I will fight it out," she said.The Delhi High Court had on January 11, issued notice in the petition filed by Tikoo who had challenged Twitter's decision to lock her account for allegedly tweeting in violation of its rules on hateful conduct.In her plea, filed through advocate Mukesh Sharma, Tikoo had stated that on December 14, 2021, her brother Sahil Tikoo participated in a discussion where he was called an Indian agent by some participants.On the morning of December 15, she put out a tweet saying that her Srinagar-based brother was being threatened by “jihadi terrorists” and asked if they were “sitting ducks waiting to be shot by Islamists.”However, she was shocked to see that Twitter served her a notice for this tweet saying it went against their Rules on Hateful Conduct.“That it is further submitted that a lot of Twitter users including political personalities cutting across party lines expressed sympathy with the Petitioner because her Tweet very clearly did not incite violence or hatred against any community. As a matter of fact, the same was an exhortation to the Respondent No.1 (Center Government),” her petition before the High Court said.The petition said that by locking her account, Twitter was siding with Islamist terrorists who “have been the scourge of India’s brave security forces in Kashmir.Tikoo said that Twitter’s action was violative of her rights under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution and demanded that the decision to lock her account be quashed.Justice Rekha Palli, had issued notice in the matter and listed it for further hearing on March 30, 2022..Journalist Aarti Tikoo moves Delhi High Court against Twitter's decision to lock her account.Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.