Delhi HC slams Rana Ayyub’s old tweets on Savarkar

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, April 8, came down heavily on journalist Rana Ayyub on her tweets concerning Hindu deities and right-wing ideologue Vinayak Savarkar.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav called the tweets “highly derogatory, inflammatory and communal” and asked the Delhi Police and X (formerly Twitter) to take necessary action.

Notices were issued to the journalist, the Delhi Police and the central government and sought their responses.

Sources told Siasat.com that Ayyub will have to appear in court in person, which may impact her activism.

The next hearing is on Friday, April 10.

Advocate Amita Sachdeva, who identifies herself as a devout follower of Sanatan Dharma, filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal seeking criminal action.

A first information report (FIR) under sections 153 (promoting enmity between different groups), 295A (deliberate and malicious intent to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 505 (statements conducing public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Delhi Police was directed to conduct an investigation.

Ayyub’s contested tweets

Between 2013 and 2017, Ayyub tweeted about Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, Demon King Ravan, Mahabharat mythological character Draupadi and Savarkar, as well as the Indian Army. The tweets are now deleted.

In 2013, Ayyub tweeted, “Ravana didn’t touch Sita even though he could. Ram didn’t stand for Sita even though he should have. Ravana 1 Ram 0.”

In October 2014, Ayyub quoted a couplet by Ali Sardar Jafri, which read, “Gareeb Sita ke ghar pe kab tak rahegi Ravan ki hukmrani, Draupadi ka libas uske badan se kab tak chhina karega. (How long will Ravan’s rule prevail in the house of poor Sita? How long will Draupadi’s clothes be snatched from her body?)“

In 2015, Ayyub’s tweet read: “So Veer Savarkar advocated rape as necessary component of Hindutva nationalism,”

And another said, “Was reading Nathuram Godse’s account of Savarkar & wondering if we shud continue to honour the terrorist sympathiser”

In 2016, Ayyub posted a tweet tagging the Indian Army. The tweet had a picture of a boy with pellet bullet injuries on his face. “Dear Indian army, am guessing this young kid was quite a threat to the sovereignty of India to be blinded for life.”

Advocate Sachdeva has referred to six tweets made by Rana Ayyub between 2013 and 2017, calling them an insult to Hindu gods, Veer Savarkar and the Indian Army. She alleged that the noted journalist consistently insults Hindu deities through her social media platform, thus promoting hostility towards India and its citizens.