Twitter locks official handles of Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, and 5K leaders
Twitter move prompted by Union Govt pressure, Congress leaders allege
The official Congress party Twitter handle has been locked by the social media major, citing violation of rules. The latest action by the microblogging platform follows up on the temporary locking of senior party leader Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter handle a week ago. The Congress party has stated that Twitter has already suspended 5000 accounts of its leaders and workers across India.
Rahul Gandhi’s handle had been ‘temporarily’ locked last week, consequent to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights issuing a notice to the micro-blogging site. The notice was given against a tweet by the senior Congress leader in which he allegedly “violated the privacy of a minor victim, mandated by the laws of the land”.
Twitter action prompted by govt: Congress leaders
Congress leaders have taken the blocking and suspension of leaders’ tweet handles very seriously and have lashed out at the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They have criticized the social media major for acting under government pressure. According to a Money Control report, Congress leaders and social media head of the party, Rohit Gupta, has stated that Twitter has already blocked 5000 accounts of our leaders and workers across India. He noted that the party leaders “cannot be pressurized by Twitter or the government.”
As per the Congress party, accounts of the party’s media in-charge Randeep Surjewala, AICC general secretary and former minister Ajay Maken, party whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, Assam in-charge, and former Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev, have been suspended.
A tweet by Pranav Jha, AICC Secretary in charge of the Congress party’s communication department, said the Indian National Congress was registering its protest against the Twitter action that has been spurred by government pressure and that the party would continue the fight for each and all being wronged!
So! After Shri @RahulGandhi, the Lord @narendramodi Ji and Vassal @Jack & @twitter have locked @rssurjewala, @ajaymaken & @sushmitadevinc.@INCIndia registers its protest and promises to continue the fight for each and all being wronged!
— pranav jha (@pranavINC) August 11, 2021
We shall hold on @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji !!
Twitter cites violation of rules by Congress leaders
Meanwhile, the social media giant has told the Delhi High Court that it had temporarily locked Rahul Gandhi’s account and removed his “tweet that had a photograph of the parents of a nine-year-old Dalit girl, allegedly raped and killed on August 1”.
According to the social media company, the locking of the account came about as “the tweet violated the platform’s policy”.
