The social media platform, Twitter’s policy for suspending and banning accounts is well known to be arbitrary and down right biased. Today, in an unprecedented manner it has suspended the official twitter handle of the Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha without any rhyme or reason.

The Official Twitter account of Lt Governor of J&K, @OfficeOfLGJandK is suspended and shows the message: “Account suspended”, along with the reason for suspension, “Twitter suspends accounts that violate the Twitter rules”

Notably, the Twitter also had the gall to suspend Indian Army Chinar Corps in early June in 2019 and restored it the next day. It has become a habit for the social media company to get away with stifling the freedom of expression of social media accounts which it does not agree with.

suspending official accounts of constitutional authorities, that too when the country is facing a pandemic and social media platforms are used by the authorities and general citizens to share information on availability of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, plasma, blood and Remdesivir drugs. SOS messages are also sent to authorities by citizens in need through the social media and responded very promptly saving many lives.

The Twitter should be prosecuted for such irresponsible behaviour of suspending official accounts of constitutional authorities in times of crisis exacerbating the problems due to lack of communication.

Twitter has also recently suspended Kangana Ranaut’s account, for violating their rules and regulations; while the Twitter blissfully encourages Islamists like Sharjeel Usman, Farhan Khan Ali, Safoora Zargar for spewing venom against Hindus and celebrating death of people who do not agree with their Islamist worldview and ideology. Islamist AAP MLA, Amanatullah Khan on twitter put videos calling for the beheading and chopping off the tongue of Hindu Sadhu Yati Narasinghanand Saraswati as a Shariat punishment for criticising Islam’s founder Mohammad. While Twitter promptly suspended Yati Narasinghanand’s account, Amanatullah Khan is even today spewing venom against Hindu leaders and inciting his community to commit mass scale violence.

This time the central government should file cases against Twitter for impeding communication during pandemic by suspending the official account of Lt. Gov of J&K

Image sourced from: Opindia.

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