The central government on Wednesday spoke to Twitter officials soon after the social media platform said in a blog post that it partially complied with the government’s request to block access to certain Twitter accounts, which allegedly spread misinformation and provocative content over the ongoing farmers’ protest, PTI reported. Twitter in its blog post said that although it suspended over 500 accounts and blocked access to several others, it refused to block accounts of “news media entities, journalists, activists and politicians” citing the need to uphold freedom of expression.

Also read: BJP attacks Twitter, promotes its rival as it refuses to block accounts

During a virtual interaction between the secretary at the IT Ministry and senior officials of Twitter, the government told the microblogging platform that it must respect the country’s laws and democratic institutions and take strong action against “well-coordinated” campaigns “designed to create disharmony and unrest” in the country.

The government questioned the manner in which Twitter “officially allows fake, unverified, anonymous and automated bot accounts to be operated on its platform” and said it raises doubts about its commitment to transparency and healthy conversation on the platform.

On freedom of expression, the IT secretary said the government values freedom of speech and expression and takes criticism in its stride, such freedom is “not absolute” and subject to reasonable restrictions under the Constitution.

However, the secretary voiced “disappointment” at seeing Twitter “side not with ‘freedom of expression’ but rather with those who seek to abuse such freedom and provoke disturbance to public order”.

The government also drew parallel between the Capitol Hill riots in the United States and Red Fort violence in India and slammed the social media platform over its “differential” treatment of the two.

“Secretary reminded Twitter about the action taken by Twitter during the Capitol Hill episode in the USA and compared that with the disturbance in Red Fort in India and its aftermath. He expressed dissatisfaction over Twitter’s differential treatment in the two incidents,” the IT Ministry said in a statement.

The Secretary also flagged the issue around a ‘toolkit’ that was shared on its platform amid the farmers’ protest, and said the chain of events had made it evident that a strong social media campaign was planned in a foreign country around the agitation.

“Misuse of Twitter’s platform for execution of such campaigns designed to create disharmony and unrest in India is unacceptable and Twitter must take strong action against such well-coordinated campaigns against India,” the statement read. 

Also read: On Koo app, Centre calls Twitter’s ‘freedom of expression’ blog post ‘unusual’

Union Minister of Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday told Rajya Sabha that although social media empowers the common people and has a big role the government’s ‘Digital India’ programme, “if social media is misused to spread fake news, violence then action will be taken.”