Delhi High Court issues notice in Aarti Tikoo plea against Twitter's decision to lock her account

The Delhi High Court today issued notice in the petition filed by journalist Aarti Tikoo challenging Twitter's decision to lock her account for allegedly tweeting in violation of its Rules on Hateful Conduct [Aarti Tikoo v. Union of India and Anr]..Notice was issued by Justice Rekha Palli, who listed the matter for hearing on March 30, 2022.Tikoo had sought access to her account as interim relief, but the same was denied by the Court. However, the Court granted her liberty to file an application for interim relief in the future, if the need arises..Tikoo is the founder and editor of The New Indian, a digital news website. She said that Twitter’s action violates her rights under Article 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution and demanded that the decision to lock her account be quashed. .In her plea, filed through Advocate Mukesh Sharma, Tikoo states 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),” the petition stated..The petition said that the by locking her account, Twitter is siding with Islamist terrorists who “have been the scourge of India’s brave security forces in Kashmir.”“Since the beginning of the insurgency in 1989, countless brave soldiers and security personnel have been martyred in the struggle to preserve India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In this view of the matter, it is imperative that the impugned aforementioned decision of the Respondent No.2 is quashed forthwith," it was contended..Journalist Aarti Tikoo moves Delhi High Court against Twitter's decision to lock her account