New Delhi, Feb 17: Amid layoffs and a severe cost-cutting, Twitter has closed offices in Delhi and Mumbai and asked staff to work from home, according to sources.

The micro-blogging platform's Bengaluru office that largely has engineering staff remains operational, the sources said.

The Delhi and Mumbai offices shuttered a few weeks ago, with remaining staff now working from home, sources privy to the matter said.

However, the number of employees affected by the move could not be immediately ascertained. A mail sent to Twitter on the issue, did not elicit a response.

The closure of the two offices in key locations in India comes as the platform has initiated massive cost cutting drive globally, after billionnaire Elon Musk's USD 44 billion takeover of Twitter, last year.

The firm downsized from more than 7,000 people to 2,300 active employees across the globe -- the mass-layoffs began with firing of CEO Parag Agrawal as well as the CFO and many other high ranking leaders last year.

In the retrenchments that followed, Twitter fired the majority of its over 200 employees in India as well. Only a handful were spared as layoffs culled roles across engineering, sales and marketing, and communications teams.

The US-based social media platform, in an internal e-mail to employees in early November said, "in an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce..."

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Davanagere: Sri Rama Sene national president Pramod Muthalik has accused the state government of using the proposed Hate Speech and Hate Crimes (Prevention) Bill to target Hindus and to suppress Hindutva organisations and their leaders.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Muthalik said the Sene opposes the Bill. According to him, the government is bringing this legislation only to appease Muslim voters while selectively targeting Hindu voices.

He questioned whether it is wrong to speak against cow slaughter when the ban is already in force but violations still occur in many places. “Is it wrong to raise awareness among Hindus about love jihad? Is it wrong to oppose illegal construction of churches, mosques or encroachments on cremation grounds? Is objecting to religious conversions wrong?” he asked.

Muthalik alleged that the Bill attempts to silence anyone who questions or protests such issues. He said the move goes against the spirit of the Constitution framed by Dr B.R. Ambedkar and is aimed at weakening the Hindu community.

He urged BJP and JD(S) MLAs to strongly oppose the Bill in the upcoming session and ensure it does not get passed. The organisation will submit memorandums to all legislators and mount pressure, he added.

During the press meet, Muthalik tore copies of the Bill in protest. Leaders of Sri Rama Sene including Parashuram Nadavinamani, Yashavanth, Sridhar and Madhu were present.