Panic struck Twitter Inc.’s global headquarters in the United States at the break of Monday’s dawn. Top executives did not know what had just struck them. Twitter executives are said to have been angry, worried, paranoid and above all, scared of what had just happened back in India. But guess who was more panic-stricken and outraged than Twitter executives both in India and America? India’s opposition leaders and liberals!
Delhi Police, on Monday evening, dispatched two teams of its special cell to pay a visit to the microblogging site’s offices in New Delhi and Gurgaon. The recent ‘visit’ by Delhi Police to Twitter offices comes in the backdrop of fresh tensions between the American social media giant and the Modi government. The microblogging platform, perhaps at the behest of exclusive information it has pertaining to the ‘toolkit’ fiasco, decided to label tweets made with images of the explosive documents as “manipulated media”.
Delhi Police has been asking Twitter for the information, on the basis of which the platform termed the toolkit shared by BJP leaders “manipulated”. Failing cooperation, two police teams were dispatched to its offices. But Indian messiahs of the platform were soon up in arms against the Modi government and “its” Delhi Police. Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said the police action was a fallout of the “fake toolkit” being “exposed”.
“Now perturbed by it, running scared of it, the BJP and the Narendra Modi Government are raiding Twitter offices…Why? The guilty people are sitting in BJP headquarters and in the seat of power, but you are raiding Twitter’s office. The BJP is running scared of its lies and fraud getting caught and being branded as manipulated and fraudulent by social media platforms,” Surjewala said.
जान लें,@Twitter के दिल्ली-गुरुग्राम दफ़्तर पर रेड डालने वाली डरपोक भाजपा सरकार “रेड राज” से फ़र्ज़ी टूलकिट का सच नही छिपा सकती। pic.twitter.com/N37frS5vPQ
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) May 24, 2021
Congress scion Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, wrote a cryptic tweet in which he said, “Truth remains unafraid.”
Truth remains unafraid.
सत्य डरता नहीं।#Toolkit
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 25, 2021
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, on the other hand, chipped in, saying, “Priority of these times is to focus on providing healthcare, medicines & vaccines. Union Home Minister instead unleashes Delhi Police on a social media platform to intimidate it for petty & partisan political purposes. Inhuman. Shameful.”
Priority of these times is to focus on providing healthcare, medicines & vaccines.
Union Home Minister instead unleashes Delhi Police on a social media platform to intimidate it for petty & partisan political purposes.
Inhuman.
Shameful.https://t.co/yVrAUEjqpj— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 24, 2021
Every day Modi govt attains a new low. @TwitterIndia spoke truth which everyone knows. Going after them will not get Modi govt's clothes back. King will always remain without clothes.
Now this fact will be known across the world.#TwitterIndia#ManipulatedMedia— Sachin Sawant सचिन सावंत (@sachin_inc) May 24, 2021
A police raid on the offices of @TwitterIndia ? In a deadly pandemic, this is the priority for @DelhiPolice? More despatches from India’s great derangement #twitterraid
— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 24, 2021
Delhi police lands up at @TwitterIndia offices at Gurugram. Does BJP realise that with @DrSJaishankar EAM in US for talks, this won’t play well there? Sometimes when you’re wrong it’s better to cut your losses but Modi-fied BJP apparently doesn’t think so.
— K. C. Singh (@ambkcsingh) May 24, 2021
As is visible, a simple visit by the Delhi Police to Twitter India’s offices in Delhi and Gurugram has infuriated the Congress-Left ecosystem, as if they are racing against time to hide their own misdeeds. Meanwhile, the Modi government has made it clear that beginning Wednesday, all social media platforms including Twitter who have not complied with recently released social media guidelines will be liable to be prosecuted under criminal charges. The microblogging platform is really surviving on the edge in India – and the Indian government’s message to it is loud and clear: fall in line or get booted out.
Wonderful. These unelected mini governments must be made to follow the law of the land or booted out. The facebooks and twitters are a platform for manipulation of views and targetted uncivil behaviour. I hope this government walks its talk and kicks these fellows into following the law of the land.
India has taught the world what is real democracy. Not these paid media working in India and manned by foreign funded people to destabilise our Country and its growth. Obey our Land law else get away from India. You people simply obey all the laws of your USA without questioning.