The Delhi High Court on Monday ordered the restoration of a recently blocked satirical X (formerly Twitter) account, Dr Nimo Yadav, offering partial relief to its operator.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, however, clarified that certain tweets flagged as objectionable by the Central government will remain blocked for the time being.
Court Allows Conditional Restoration
In its order, the Court directed that the flagged tweets be placed under a “temporary blocking category,” while the account itself should be restored.
“The alleged objectionable tweets stated in the blocking order be put under temporary blocking category. The petitioner’s account be restored. The Government of India is at liberty to monitor material and take recourse as per law if further objectionable content is posted,” the Court said.
The account operator, Prateek Sharma, has also been asked to appear before a Review Committee, which will examine whether the flagged posts should continue to remain blocked.
Background: Account Blocked Over ‘Defamatory Content’
The account had been blocked in India on March 19 following a confidential order issued by the Central government a day earlier under legal provisions.
According to the government, the handle was allegedly “spreading false narratives involving the Prime Minister” and portraying him “in bad taste.” The blocking order further claimed that the account used photographs, videos, and AI-manipulated content to create controversial posts that could affect public order and pose internal security concerns.
Court records also revealed that 11 other X accounts were blocked under the same March 18 order.
Petitioner Challenges Blocking as ‘Arbitrary’
Sharma challenged the blocking before the High Court, arguing that the action was illegal and violated his rights. He also claimed that the blocking order was not shared with him prior to the suspension of his account.
His counsel, Vrinda Grover, told the Court that the continued blocking had caused loss of income and disrupted his professional work, as the account served as a source of livelihood.
“The blocking order is totally illegal and arbitrary. If specific tweets are objectionable, we are willing to delete them,” she argued, questioning the government’s decision to block the entire account instead of targeting individual posts.
Government Urges Caution
Opposing the plea, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma urged the Court to exercise caution before interfering with the government’s decision.
He argued that the account contained disparaging remarks against the Prime Minister and raised concerns related to foreign relations and public order. “The damage has already been done,” he submitted.
X (Twitter) Backs Limited Restrictions
Counsel representing X also opposed the complete deletion of the account, suggesting that blocking specific tweets would be a more appropriate approach.
The platform argued that deleting the entire account could permanently erase content that might later be deemed protected under free speech.
Next Steps: Review Committee to Decide
The matter will now be placed before a Review Committee, which will assess whether the flagged tweets should remain blocked or be restored.
