Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticized Jack Dorsey’s statement, describing it as an “outright lie” and suggesting that it might be an attempt to cover up a questionable phase in Twitter’s history. Chandrasekhar’s tweet indicates his skepticism and disagreement with Dorsey’s claims regarding the requests made by India and the alleged threats faced by Twitter.
The Indian government has strongly denied Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey’s allegations of receiving numerous requests from India to censor accounts critical of the government and those reporting on farmers’ protests, as well as threats of shutting down the platform. Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar criticized Dorsey’s comments as an “outright lie” and suggested it could be an attempt to whitewash a controversial period in Twitter’s history.
During an interview on the YouTube channel Breaking Points, Dorsey claimed that India had made multiple requests related to farmers’ protests and critical journalists, accompanied by threats to shut down Twitter, raid employees’ homes, and close its offices. He also drew comparisons to Turkey and Nigeria, which had previously restricted the platform in their respective countries.
Chandrasekhar responded to Dorsey’s claims, accusing Twitter of repeatedly violating Indian law during his tenure as CEO and refusing to accept the sovereignty of Indian law. He highlighted instances of non-compliance and misinformation during the January 2021 protests, stating that the government had a responsibility to remove fake news that could further escalate the situation. Chandrasekhar emphasized that no raids or arrests took place, and the government’s focus was solely on ensuring compliance with Indian laws.
The minister criticized Twitter’s alleged partisan behavior and misuse of power on its platform, claiming that there was ample evidence of arbitrary, partisan, and discriminatory conduct during that period. He reiterated the government’s stance on compliance with laws for all intermediaries operating in India to ensure a safe and trustworthy internet.
Overall, the government vehemently denied Dorsey’s allegations and asserted its commitment to upholding Indian laws while accusing Twitter of partisan behavior and violating constitutional principles.
The farmers concluded their year-long protests in November 2021 following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of the withdrawal of three contentious farm laws.
