Rule of land supreme, not your policy: Parliamentary panel on information technology to Twitter
New Delhi: Amid a tussle between the Union government and Twitter over the new IT rules, members of a parliamentary panel on Friday strongly objected to Twitter India officials' observations that they abide by their policy and categorically told them that the rule of land is supreme.
According to sources, members of the Parliamentary Panel on Information Technology also asked Twitter why it should not be fined as it has been found "violating" rules of the country.
Earlier this month, the Centre issued a notice to Twitter giving it one last chance to "immediately" comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, chaired by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, had last week summoned Twitter over issues related to misuse of the platform and protection of citizens' rights.
Twitter India's public policy manager Shagufta Kamran and legal counsel Ayushi Kapoor deposed before the panel on Friday.
Members of the panel asked some tough and searching questions to Twitter India officials but there answers lacked clarity and were ambiguous, sources said.
They strongly objected to the observation of Twitter India officials that its policy is on par with the rule of land and categorically told them "rule of land is supreme, not your policy", sources said.
Twitter and the Centre have been at loggerheads over several issues for the last few months.
The microblogging site had faced backlash when it briefly removed the 'blue tick' verification badge from the personal account of Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and of several senior RSS functionaries, including its chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Earlier, Delhi Police had sent a notice to Twitter, seeking an explanation of how it described an alleged "Congress toolkit" against the Central government as manipulated media.
The police reportedly had also questioned Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari on May 31 and visited the Twitter India offices in Delhi and Gurgaon on May 24 over the toolkit issue.
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Swearing-in ceremony of new Assam govt to be held on May 12
Guwahati (PTI): The swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected BJP-led NDA government in Assam will be held on May 12, Chief Secretary Ravi Kota said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several union ministers, chief ministers and deputy CMs of BJP-ruled states, and representatives from industries are expected to attend the function.
The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Veterinary Field, Khanapara, he said.
“Chaired a comprehensive review meeting with the DGP, Assam today to assess preparedness for the forthcoming visit of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected Council of Ministers”, Kota posted on X on Wednesday night.
Arrangements related to security, traffic management, venue readiness, protocol, and inter-departmental coordination were discussed in detail, he said.
''Emphasised the need for seamless execution, strict adherence to established protocols, and close coordination among all stakeholders," Kota said.
All departments concerned have been directed to maintain the highest level of preparedness to ensure the ceremony is conducted smoothly, securely, and in a manner befitting the significance of the occasion, he said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma tendered his resignation to Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, who asked him to continue as the head of the caretaker government.
Union minister J P Nadda and Naib Singh Saini have been appointed as the observer and co-observer, respectively, for the election of the BJP Legislature party leader, which is likely to be held on May 10.
The ruling NDA returned to power for the third successive term, securing 102 of the 126 assembly seats in the state with the BJP winning 82 constituencies and its allies - the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) - bagging 10 each.
