Twitter locks Congress’ official handle for August 8 post

On August 12, the official Twitter handle of the opposition Congress party has been locked for ‘violating rules’, as informed by the party leaders.

On August 12, the official Twitter handle of the opposition Congress party has been locked for ‘violating rules’, as informed by the party leaders.

This news comes a day after when various party leaders alleged their handles were suspended too and a week after the same followed with the senior leader Rahul Gandhi whose Twitter handle got suspended on a temporal basis.

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“Twitter acting under government pressure. It has already blocked 5000 accounts of our leaders and workers across India. They need to understand that we cannot be pressurized by Twitter or the government,” asserted Rohan Gupta, social media head, Congress.

On August 11, the party leaders said that Twitter reportedly locked accounts of its media in-charge Randeep Surjewala, AICC general secretary and ex-minister Ajay Maken, party’s birch in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, Assam in-charge, and former Union minister Jitendra Singh and Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev.

Last week, the National Commission or Protection of Child Rights issued a draft to the micro-blogging site asking it to erase the tweet in question

“So! After Shri @RahulGandhi, the Lord @narendramodi Ji and Vassal @Jack & @twitter have locked @rssurjewala, @ajaymaken & @sushmitadevinc. @INCIndia registers its protest and promises to continue the fight for each and all being wronged! We shall hold on @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji (sic),” Pranav Jha, AICC secretary in charge of Congress Communication Department tweeted.

On August 11, Twitter informed the Delhi High Court that it had locked Rahul Gandhi’s account on a temporal basis and suspended his tweet that displayed a photograph of the parents of a nine-year-old Dalit girl, who was allegedly raped, molested and killed at a crematorium in Southwest Delhi location on August 01. The social media giant reiterated that the action was taken in compliance with the violation of the platform’s policy.

In another tweet, Jha (AICC Secretary) added, “The list goes on. @Twitter locks @JitendraSAlwar and @manickamtagore and many more. Doesn’t Modi Ji understand that we @INCindia’ns have a legacy of fighting even from behind the locks of kaala paani. He feels the virtual locks of Twitter will deter us from fighting for India.”

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) took note of Gandhi’s tweet and guided Twitter to act against the Congress leader’s account for breaking the privacy of a minor victim, which is strictly mandated by the laws of the land.

The Congress tweeted in association to Rahul Gandhi’s handle, ‘Shri @RahulGandhi’s Twitter account has been temporarily suspended & due process is being followed for its restoration.’