Govt issues warning to Twitter; conveys strong disapproval over map misrepresentation
New Delhi:India has warned Twitter over its location setting that showed Leh in China, saying any disrespect of the country's sovereignty and integrity is totally unacceptable.
In a strongly-worded letter, Ajay Sawhney, Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), asked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to respect the country's sensitivities, sources in the ministry said
Twitter came under heavy criticism and faced backlash from social media users after its geotagging feature displayed "Jammu & Kashmir, People's Republic of China" in a live broadcast from Leh's Hall of Fame, a war memorial for fallen soldiers in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
This triggered angry responses from netizens who demanded that stringent action be initiated against the micro-blogging platform.
Twitter, earlier this week, called it a technical issue which has been swiftly resolved.
Sources said Sawhney, in the letter sent on Wednesday evening, warned Twitter that any attempt to undermine the sovereignty and integrity of India will not just bring disrepute to the micro-blogging site but also raises questions about its neutrality and fairness as an intermediary.
Conveying strong disapproval of the government over misrepresentation of the map of India, Sawhney in his letter reminded Twitter that Leh is the headquarter of the Union Territory of Ladakh. And that both Ladakh as well as Jammu and Kashmir are integral and inalienable parts of India, governed by the Constitution of India.
The government has asked Twitter to respect the sensitivities of Indian citizens and made it clear that any attempt by Twitter to disrespect the sovereignty and integrity of India, which is also reflected by the maps, is totally unacceptable and unlawful.
When contacted, Twitter in an e-mail response said: "Twitter remains committed to working with the Government of India. We respect the sensitivities involved and have duly acknowledged the letter."
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PM Modi praises cricketer Mohammed Shami in election rally in UP's Amroha
Amroha (UP), Apr 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday praised Team India pacer Mohammed Shami during an election rally here.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said, "The whole world has seen the amazing feat that bhai Mohammed Shami did in the Cricket World Cup. The central government has given Arjuna Award to bhai Mohammed Shami for his excellent performance in sports."
"Yogi ji's government has moved two steps forward. Yogi ji is also building a stadium for the youth here. I congratulate the people of Amroha very much for this," Modi said.
Shami had grabbed seven wickets in the World Cup semifinal against New Zealand in Mumbai. He is currently ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) owing to a left ankle injury.
The prime minister also praised the 'dholak' (a musical instrument) of Amroha.
Situated on the banks of Mother Ganga, this land has witnessed the footprints of Lord Shri Krishna, PM Modi said.
"This is the land of brave people like Raja Gaj Singh and Thakur Jairam Singh. I have been given dholak, another identity of Amroha and the beat of the dholak here resonates far and wide. Due to the efforts of our Yogi ji, the BJP government has given the GI tag to Amroha's dholak and given it an identity in the entire world," Modi said.
Voting in the second phase will take place on April 26 and it will cover eight parliamentary constituencies of Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautambuddh Nagar, Bulandshahr (SC), Aligarh and Mathura.
In Amroha, the main electoral contest is between Kanwar Singh Tanwar of the BJP and Kunwar Danish Ali of the Congress. BSP's Mujahid Husain is also in the poll fray. There are a total of 12 candidates contesting from Amroha.
