Hate-crime tracker Hindutva Watch has approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the Central government order blocking its X (Twitter) account..Hindutva Watch is a research initiative to monitor the reports of attacks on religious minorities in India. It was founded by journalist Raqib Hameed who is now based in the United States..Justice Subramonium Prasad heard the plea filed by Hameed on April 25..The Court was told that in similar circumstances in the case of satirical website Dowry Calculator, a Division Bench of the High Court had permitted post-decisional hearing and also directed that a copy of the original blocking order, after redacting the portion pertaining to the third parties, be furnished to the petitioner.The counsel appearing for the Central government told the Bench that a post-decisional hearing was offered to the Hindutva Watch but the same could not be availed because he was not available in the country.After considering the submissions, the Court asked the Central government counsel to obtain instructions if a second post-decisional hearing can be granted to the petitioner if he appears through a virtual conference.The Court will hear the matter next on July 27..Hindutva Watch's X account was blocked in January this year in response to a legal demand. Subsequently, the platform's website was also blocked in India. In its plea, apart from quashing the order blocking its X account, Hindutva Watch has sought directions to call for the records pertaining to the blocking and orders/findings of the Review Committee constituted under Rule 14 of the 2009 Blocking Rules.It is the platform's case that they were not given any prior notice, hearing or copy of the blocking order..Advocates Vrinda Bhandari, Abhinav Sekhri, Gayatri Malhotra, Rubayya Tasneem, Anandita Rana, Madhav Aggarwal and Pragya B appeared for Raqib Hameed (Hindutva Watch).Central government was represented through Central Government Standing Counsel (CGSC) Premtosh K Mishra and advocates Rudra Paliwal, Manu Arya and Rakesh..[Read Order]
Hate-crime tracker Hindutva Watch has approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the Central government order blocking its X (Twitter) account..Hindutva Watch is a research initiative to monitor the reports of attacks on religious minorities in India. It was founded by journalist Raqib Hameed who is now based in the United States..Justice Subramonium Prasad heard the plea filed by Hameed on April 25..The Court was told that in similar circumstances in the case of satirical website Dowry Calculator, a Division Bench of the High Court had permitted post-decisional hearing and also directed that a copy of the original blocking order, after redacting the portion pertaining to the third parties, be furnished to the petitioner.The counsel appearing for the Central government told the Bench that a post-decisional hearing was offered to the Hindutva Watch but the same could not be availed because he was not available in the country.After considering the submissions, the Court asked the Central government counsel to obtain instructions if a second post-decisional hearing can be granted to the petitioner if he appears through a virtual conference.The Court will hear the matter next on July 27..Hindutva Watch's X account was blocked in January this year in response to a legal demand. Subsequently, the platform's website was also blocked in India. In its plea, apart from quashing the order blocking its X account, Hindutva Watch has sought directions to call for the records pertaining to the blocking and orders/findings of the Review Committee constituted under Rule 14 of the 2009 Blocking Rules.It is the platform's case that they were not given any prior notice, hearing or copy of the blocking order..Advocates Vrinda Bhandari, Abhinav Sekhri, Gayatri Malhotra, Rubayya Tasneem, Anandita Rana, Madhav Aggarwal and Pragya B appeared for Raqib Hameed (Hindutva Watch).Central government was represented through Central Government Standing Counsel (CGSC) Premtosh K Mishra and advocates Rudra Paliwal, Manu Arya and Rakesh..[Read Order]
