Saket Gokhale alleges Modi govt made 8863 orders to remove content, suspend accounts on Twitter
New Delhi: Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Saket Gokhale on Wednesday hit back at the government over refusal of former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s claims that the Indian government “pressured” the microblogging site to act against the critical voices during the farmers protest.
Through a series of tweets, Gokhale has cited official data from Twitter Transparency Reports which suggests that the Centre cracks down critical voices. He shared that India submitted maximum government requests for account information during the peak of Anti-CAA and farmers protests.
Between January to December 2020, the government demanded for user details of 5830 accounts which saw an exponential increase of 425% compared to information sought on 1057 accounts in 2019. He stated that the government made 8863 orders for removal of content & account suspension on Twitter in 2021. However, only 32 were court-ordered.
Gokhale also compared the data with other countries which showcased that India accounted for 8% of the global demands of suspension of Twitter accounts. India made 3992 orders for suspension of 12,916 accounts whereas UK and US ordered suspension for 16 and 32 accounts respectively. Only Turkey (4284) and Russia (8370) demanded for more suspension of accounts than India.
It is crystal clear, Gokhale suggests, that the Modi government made “unprecedented demands for Twitter censorship during the anti-CAA & Farmer Protests”. He further questioned whether the ruling party will have the guts to deny this data and term the same as “lies” and “foreign conspiracy”.
Nailing the lies of Modi Govt on Twitter ex-CEO Jack Dorsey's allegations of censorship & spying:
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) June 14, 2023
Modi Govt has denied allegations of indulging in spying & pressure on Twitter & called them "lies".
But here's the truth based on data from Twitter's Transparency Reports.
In the recorded period of the peak of the Anti-CAA & Farmers Protest:
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) June 14, 2023
India submitted MAXIMUM GOVT REQUESTS FOR ACCOUNT INFORMATION GLOBALLY during this period
Indian Govt account requests for this period represent 25% OF GLOBAL VOLUME & 15% of ALL GLOBAL ACCOUNTS
(2/13) pic.twitter.com/oyhmEMxvKA
Now in 2021 (COVID period)
— Saket Gokhale (@SaketGokhale) June 14, 2023
Indian Govt requests for user details comprised 19% of TOTAL GLOBAL REQUESTS.
Let's compare this with % of global requests from other countries:
UK was 4%
Germany was 6%
Brazil was 2%
AND WAIT...
PAKISTAN WAS LESS THAN 1%
(4/13) pic.twitter.com/d6RtOD5OV4
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Three new cubs born to Cheetah Gamini in MP's Kuno Park; India's count rises to 38
Sheopur (MP) (PTI): Cheetah 'Gamini' has given birth to three cubs at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking the number of these big cats in India to 38, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Wednesday.
Describing it as a "roaring" success of the government's ambitious Cheetah re-introduction programme, Yadav said it is a powerful symbol of the country’s determined and historic conservation effort.
Gamini was translocated to India from South Africa as part of the ambitious project launched in September 2022 to revive the population of the world's fastest land animal in India, which had gone extinct decades ago.
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Yadav, in a post on X, said, “Kuno welcomes three new cubs - A roaring new chapter at Kuno on the occasion of completion of 3 years of arrival of cheetahs from South Africa. Celebrations echo through Kuno National Park as Gamini, the South African cheetah and second-time mother, has brought 3 new cubs into the world."
This joyful arrival marks the ninth successful cheetah litter on Indian soil and takes the number of surviving Indian-born cubs to 27, he said.
With these newest additions, India's total cheetah population has now reached 38 - a powerful symbol of the country's determined and historic conservation effort, Yadav highlighted.
Each birth strengthens the foundation of Project Cheetah and reflects the passion, perseverance, and round-the-clock dedication of the field staff and veterinary teams who have nurtured this dream into reality, he said.
"A moment of pride for Kuno, and for India—may Gamini and her three little sprinters grow strong and carry the nation’s cheetah revival story forward with speed and grace," the minister added.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav noted that Madhya Pradesh is a powerful centre for cheetah reintroduction.
This is a historic achievement for the entire country in the direction of wildlife conservation, biodiversity, and environmental balance, the CM said in a post on X.
It is a matter of immense joy that under Project Cheetah, the female cheetah ‘Gamini’ who arrived from South Africa has given birth to three cubs, he said.
"With the completion of three years of cheetahs’ arrival at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district, this is the 9th successful birth (of a litter). The total number of cheetahs in India has now increased to 38," Yadav added.
Earlier this month, cheetah Aasha, translocated to India from Namibia, gave birth to five cubs in KNP.
