Chennai: The Madras High Court on Wednesday stayed the operation of a notice issued by the Tamil Nadu cybercrime wing directing X to suspend or block 18 URLs and posts, including those shared by YouTuber Maridhas. A vacation bench of Justice L Victoria Gowri and Justice N Senthil Kumar passed the interim order on a plea moved by P Chockalingam, north Tamil Nadu president of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), challenging the notices.
Background of the Case
On May 8, the Tamil Nadu cybercrime wing ordered the blocking of several X accounts, alleging that they posted comments critical of the Tamil Nadu government. In his plea, Chockalingam stated that blocking X accounts on the ground that they disturb public peace, without properly examining whether the posts were merely political criticism, amounted to a violation of freedom of expression. The petition further contended that even accounts that posted criticism that neither incited violence nor threatened public order were blocked.
Court Proceedings
When the plea came up for hearing on Wednesday, the petitioner submitted that 18 social media accounts were blocked allegedly for posting political satire, but no reasons were provided for the action. Recording the submissions, the bench directed the Tamil Nadu government to file its response and adjourned the hearing to June 8.
The court's interim order provides relief to the affected account holders, including YouTuber Maridhas, pending further hearing. The case highlights the ongoing tension between free speech and government regulation of online content in India.
