The Delhi High Court order restoring X accounts such as 'Dr Nimo Yadav' and 'Nehr Who' -- blocked after allegedly publishing defamatory content against Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- has reinforced the government's legal authority to act against unlawful online content, said sources in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
Sources told NDTV that the court has validated the statutory process, under which the government blocks access to unlawful digital content under the IT Act and associated rules.
At the same time, the court has made it clear that the posts flagged as objectionable will remain blocked or suspended pending adjudication by an Inter-Ministerial Committee.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, while granting limited relief, made it clear that the flagged content cannot be restored at this stage. "The alleged objectionable tweets... be put under temporary blocking category," the court said, adding that "the petitioner's account be restored."
The court also underscored that the government retains the authority to act against fresh violations, noting that authorities are "at liberty to monitor material and if further objectionable material is posted, it is at liberty to take recourse as per law."
The court has also directed the petitioner to participate in the statutory review process. "The petitioner to appear physically before the concerned committee," the order said, while allowing the panel to examine whether the tweets are permissible under the law.
The relief granted to the petitioner, sources said, is limited. The court agreed to restore the account after the petitioner expressed willingness to delete the flagged content but stopped short of giving a clean chit to the posts in question.
Crucially, the court has left the matter to the Inter-Ministerial Committee to examine the legality of the content under the IT Act and rules. The petitioner has been directed to appear before the committee and participate in the review process.
Government sources said the order reinforces a key principle that unlawful and objectionable content cannot be justified as free speech, signalling judicial backing for action against such material on social media platforms.
The IMC will now take a final call on the future course of action after hearing the petitioner.
