The Centre yesterday blocked over 20 Twitter user-accounts, apart from blogposts and hundreds of web pages featuring user-generated content on websites such as Facebook and Youtube.
The Twitter accounts of two journalists — senior journalist and MiD DAY columnist Kanchan Gupta and television journalist Shiv Aroor — are among those that have been blocked.
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The other Twitter handles that have been blocked include Dosabandit (@dosabandit), Eagle Eye (@eagleeye47s), Twitanic (@anilkohli54), Sangh Parivar (@sanghpariwar), Amit Paranjape (@aparanjape), Sumeet (@sumeetcj), Pravin Togadia (DrPravinTogadia), Panchajanya (@i_panchajanya), Barbarian Indian (@barbarindian), Scamsutra (@scamsutra), Ekakizunj (@ekakizunj) and redditindia (@redditindia).
The government had asked Twitter to remove the hate content and had warned that it will take stringent action if the micro-blogging site fails to fall in line. However, the Twitter handlers allege foul play in the action.
Upset with the government’s decision, Kanchan Gupta asked the authorities to explain the possible reasons for being blocked on Twitter. “We were being belligerent on Assam and have been blaming the government for failing to handle Assam and its fallout in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore.
It is a political decision to hit back at a soft target. With more than 25,000 followers, they think by silencing me they will be stopping an influential voice that does not toe the government line,” Gupta said.
Following the ban, many Twitter users yesterday started using hash tags such as #Emergency2012 and #GOIBlocks.u00a0
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