The Government on Wednesday issued a notice to social media platform Twitter for unblocking accounts and asked it to remove content regarding farmers’ protest or face action, reports ANI quoting sources. Twitter had reinstated the accounts on Monday night after blocking dozens of accounts earlier in the day.

“Content With ‘#Modi Planning Farmer Genocide’ was posted on Twitter which was designed to inflame passions, hatred and are factually incorrect,” sources said, according to ANI.

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Accusing Twitter of unilaterally unblocking accounts, the sources said, “Twitter unblocked accounts/tweets despite government order for blocking”.

“Twitter is an intermediary and they are obliged to obey the direction of the government. Refusal to do so will invite penal action,”sources added.

“Twitter cannot sit as an appellate authority over the satisfaction of the authorities about its potential impact on derailing public order. It is only an intermediary. Twitter may face penal action for not complying with government orders,” sources said, reports ANI.

Around 100 Twitter accounts were blocked on Monday morning as the IT Ministry directed Twitter to remove these accounts under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The social media platform, however, unblocked the accounts late Monday night.

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Among the accounts that were suspended include those of Kisan Ekta Morcha and Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), The Caravan magazine, Prasar Bharti CEO Sashi Shekhar Vempati, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Jarnail Singh, CPI(M) leader Md Salim, activist Hansraj Meena, and actor Sushant Singh.

The action followed the January 26 violence in Delhi during farmers’ tractor rally. The government has also suspended Internet at and around protest sites in Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri borders.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, are protesting at various border points of Delhi against the three laws — the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act.