Govt warns Twitter over non-removal of accounts talking of 'farmer genocide'

The Indian government has sent a notice to Twitter warning the social media platform of penal action over noncompliance of its order to remove accounts and tweets which alleged farmer genocide in the country sources saidContent with the hashtag ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide were posted on Twitter which according to the government was designed to inflame passions and hatredThe notice issued by the Ministry of Electronics and IT MEITY held that it motivated the campaign to abuse inflame and create tension in society on unsubstantiated groundsThe ministry also said that incitement to genocide is not freedom of speech but a threat to law and orderCiting that Twitter unilaterally unblocked accounts and tweets despite the government order the notice said that that Twitter is an intermediary and is obliged to obey the direction of the government and refusal to do so will invite penal actionMEITY had passed an interim order dated January 31 as a matter of emergency for blocking 257 URLs and 1 hashtag under Section 69 A of the Information Technology Act 2000As per the government the interim order was issued on the ground that the said Twitter URLs and hashtag are spreading misinformation about protests and has the potential to lead to imminent violence affecting public order situation in the countryThe notice cited the public order issue of January 26 and said that the statutory authorities are doing everything possible to ensure that no adverse public order situation takes place and no cognisable offences are committedIt further said that the ministry is in receipt of the platforms reply dated February 1 2021 wherein Twitter has declined to abide and obey the order issued by the Indian governmentSection 69A of the Act provides jurisdiction to the Central government in cases wherein it considers it necessary or expedient to direct an intermediary to block for access for public and or cause to be blocked for access by the public any information generated transmitted received stored or hosted in any computer resource if the government is satisfied that the same is necessary or expedient in order to prevent incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to public order the notice readThe direction to block the hashtag ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide has been found to be instigating people to commit cognizable offences in relation to public order and security of the state it addedThe notice highlighted that Section 69A 3 provides for specific penal consequences in case of noncompliance of the directions issued under Section 69A of the ActThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever