Court permits Digital News Publishers Association to approach it if Centre takes coercive action under new IT Rules

The liberty was granted while ordering notice to the Centre on a writ petition filed jointly by DNPA and former editor of The Hindu, Mukund Padmanabhan, challenging the constitutionality of the IT Rules of 2021

The Madras High Court on Wednesday granted liberty to Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) and former Editor of The Hindu, Mukund Padmanabhan, to approach the court as and when any “coercive or armtwisting” action is taken by the Centre under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy granted the liberty after senior counsel P.S. Raman, representing the petitioners, feared that coercive action could be taken against digital media outlets under Rules 12,14 & 16 of the new rules under challenge.