The Allahabad High Court launched a scathing critique of Alt-News co-founder Mohammed Zubair, questioning his intent and actions about his social media posts about controversial pandit Yati Narsinghanand. The court accused Zubair of using X as a platform to incite social disharmony rather than seeking legal remedies. The case stems from an FIR filed against Zubair for allegedly sharing manipulated clips of Narsinghanand’s speech with the intent to provoke violence.
A division bench of Justice Siddhartha Varma and Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra expressed serious concerns about the impact of Zubair’s social media conduct on public peace. During the hearing, the court’s remarks highlighted a growing unease with the use of social media to address sensitive matters. Justice Varma questioned Zubair’s decision to amplify the pandit’s remarks on X instead of filing a formal complaint or seeking judicial intervention.
“If this person is acting funny, then instead of going to the police, will you act more funny? If you don’t like his speech, you should file an FIR against him,” Justice Varma said. He further added, “You will go to social media and create social disharmony? Glancing at the tweet shows that you are trying to create unrest.”
The court also questioned the broader implications of replacing legal remedies with social media activism. Justice Varma asked, “Is there any law that permits an individual to resort to Twitter. Instead of approaching the court?” Zubair’s senior counsel argued that his client’s posts were protected under the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression. The defense maintained that Zubair’s intent was to expose and highlight Narsinghanand’s remarks, not to incite unrest.
The counsel also pointed out that an FIR against Narsinghanand had been registered three hours before Zubair’s post, and Zubair was unaware of this development. The court, however, appeared unconvinced, emphasising the potential for social media posts to inflame public sentiment. Justice Varma remarked, “Come to the court then … you will go to social media handles and create social disharmony? Who denies that Twitter cannot be used, but you cannot use it to instigate unrest.”
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