After Twitter raised concerns about "potential threat to freedom of expression" over the new IT rules, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has asked the microblogging company to "stop beating around the bush" and "comply with the laws of the land".

In a statement on Thursday, MeitY asserted that India had a "glorious tradition of free speech and democratic practices" and Twitter's statements were an 'attempt to dictate its terms to the world's largest democracy. "Through its actions and deliberate defiance, Twitter seeks to undermine India's legal system. Furthermore, Twitter refuses to comply with those very regulations in the Intermediary Guidelines on the basis of which it is claiming safe harbour protection from any criminal liability in India," MeitY said.