Tightening screws over the social media giant, the Modi government has asked Twitter to block 1,178 accounts that are associated with Khalistani sympathisers or backed by Pakistan. The government also showed its displeasure over the social media giant’s decision to restore 250 accounts that the government asked it to suspend after a vicious hashtag against PM Modi. While Twitter did initially ban such accounts, within hours, they were restored after the Left-leaning platform took it upon itself to adjudicate on the validity of such tweets.
An infuriated Modi government has not only increased the number of accounts it has asked to be suspended, but also warned that punitive action can be taken if Twitter does not suspend the accounts. The IT ministry received the demand for suspension of these accounts from the Home Ministry and security agencies and later directed Twitter to suspend the accounts under Section 69A of the IT Act.
“The accounts ordered blocked are of Khalistani sympathisers, or those backed by Pakistan and operating from foreign territories. Many of the accounts are also automated bots that were used for sharing and amplifying misinformation and provocative contents on farmers’ protest,” said a source, as per a report by News18.
According to the government, these Twitter handles may “cause a threat to the public order in view of the ongoing farmers’ protests” in parts of the country.
It is a well-known fact that Twitter, whose founder Jack Dorsey was seen in India with ‘Smash Brahminical Patriarchy’ placards, favours one ideology and deplatforms the people with the other ideology. In the last few weeks, social media platforms have been under fire in many countries for choosing political sides. Countries like Germany, France, and Australia have openly spoken against the platform’s misadventures over the ban on the account of Donald Trump.
Furthermore, Mahima Kaul – the Director of Twitter India Public Policy, resigned soon after the platform restored the 257 accounts suspended on the directives of the Modi government. After her resignation, many people argued that she was forced to resign due to government pressure and now many pro-Khalistanis are crying foul over her resignation.
Supporting this hash tag & requesting Mahima Kaul plzzz don’t go #MahimaPleaseDontGo@_garrywalia
— Juned siddiqui (@Juned___sidd) February 8, 2021
https://twitter.com/RamHolkar/status/1358679488033288195?s=20
@misskaul don't know what's the reason for quitting but you are gem of a person. Be with truth we have very less remaining. #MahimaPleaseDontGo pic.twitter.com/wHUaiy9lq6
— Mohammed Shahid (@shahidsheik03) February 8, 2021
In anticipation, the new director of Twitter India’s Public Policy would be forced to follow the government directives and no one will be there to protect their anti-India agenda. However, the government is in no mood to relent and has already tightened the screws further on Twitter with an order for suspension of more than 1,000 accounts.
The Indian government is also tightening screws on other social media companies and foreign digital giants. Last time when Twitter restored the accounts, the government said, “Twitter unilaterally unblocked accounts/tweets despite the government order for blocking…Twitter is an intermediary and they are obliged to obey the direction of the government. Refusal to do so will invite penal action.” A government official meanwhile, added, “Twitter cannot sit as an appellate authority over the satisfaction of the authorities about its potential impact on derailing public order. It is only an intermediary.”
The restoration of accounts by Twitter has acted as a testimony to the platform’s inherent bias against India’s nationalists and the right-wing, so much so that it readily defied the directions of the government to pander to the country’s coterie of left-liberals.
The microblogging platform Twitter had sent a resounding signal within India, that hashtags as ludicrous as #ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide are an acceptable form of speech on the platform, while conservatives in the country merely voicing their opinion on any given matter can result in far-reaching consequences.
The Modi government, however, has now turned the tables on Twitter and made it clear that if the microblogging site refuses to obey the directives, it would be inviting hell upon itself – which would range from the American company coughing up a large sum of money to its top executives being lodged in Indian jails.
