The Delhi High Court Thursday sought the Centre's reply on a plea challenging the new IT Rules for allegedly being in gross disregard of the fundamental rights of free speech and privacy of users of social media intermediaries such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Twitter.

A bench of Justice Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to the Centre on advocate Uday Bedi's plea contending that the new IT rules are unconstitutional and antithetical to the fundamental principles of democracy.