SC to Hear Next Week Plea for Probe into 'Islamophobic Posts' on Twitter After Tablighi Jamaat Congregation

The Supreme Court Monday asked a petitioner to peruse new IT rules and said it may hear next week his plea seeking a probe either by CBI or NIA against Twitter and its users for allegedly posting Islamophobic posts after Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin last year which was purportedly dubbed as one of the reasons for spread of COVID-19. A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and justice A S Bopanna, at the outset, asked lawyer Khaja Aijazuddin, who has filed the plea in his personal capacity, to approach the Central government with the petition in which he has also sought a direction for framing guidelines under the Information Technology Act against spreading of hate messages against any religious community including Islamophobic posts on various Social Media platforms. An appeal was filed by Aijazuddin against an order of April 22 of the Telangana High Court asking him to approach the apex court for relief of seeking directions to the Centre to restrain all online social media networks in India and not to carry out any Islamophobic posts. The plea alleged Islamophobic posts on various social media platforms were spread after the religious congregation showing believers of a particular faith in poor light.