On Thursday, the Indian National Congress claimed that the official Twitter handles of its party and other members of the party have been locked. Around Twitter handles of more than 4000 Congress leaders have been claimed to be locked.
There is growing controversy over Rahul Gandhi’s tweet which he had posted after interacting with the family of a 9-year-old Dalit girl who was brutally raped. The tweet showed photographs of the family of a 9-year-old rape victim. Twitter said the Congress leaders account has been locked because it violated the rules and regulations of Twitter. The account posted other people’s private information without their consent which is against the norm of Twitter.
Accounts of Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ajay Maken, and Manickam Tagore are temporarily locked. Rohan Gupta, the head of Congress’s social media department, alleged that the microblogging site is working under the Central government’s pressure.
Congress blamed the Central government’s involvement behind the locked accounts. The party reminded its role in the independence of the nation from Britishers. It added that the party is equipped with only truth and the principles of non-violence. It also asked, “Modiji, just how afraid are you?”
When a Twitter account is locked the account user can not tweet, only the followers can see the past tweets. Twitter said that its rules are impartial for everyone. The rules are enforced judiciously by the microblogging site. Twitter said the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) notified the company about the content which revealed the identity of the 9-year-old victim’s family. The national Juvenile Justice Act and the POCSO Act, prohibits disclosure of the victim’s identity via any means of publication.