Getty ImagesNEW DELHI: The government has issued a notice to micro-blogging site Twitter for showing Leh as part of Jammu and Kashmir instead of Union Territory of Ladakh. The notice by the ministry of electronics and IT sent on Monday (November 9) has said that showing Leh as part of Jammu and Kashmir is a "deliberate attempt by Twitter to undermine the will of the sovereign Parliament of India which had declared Ladakh as a Union Territory of India with its headquarter in Leh,” sources in the government told ET.
The notice has been sent to the global Vice President of Twitter by the Director of the National Cyber Coordination Center.
Twitter has directed to explain within five working days as to why legal action should not be initiated against the company and its representatives for disrespecting the territorial integrity of India by showing incorrect map, sources added. “The legal options before the government include filing an FIR under the criminal laws amendment act leading to imprisonment of upto six months for Twitter executives and the second options is to block access to Twitter in India under Section 66a of the IT Act,” a senior official aware of the matter told ET.
Last month, the government had shot off a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey expressing "disappointment and displeasure" over the wrong representation of Leh in its maps. The row had erupted when it came to government’s notice that Twitter had shown the geo-location of Leh as being a part of Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Republic of China.
In response to the earlier letter, Twitter had removed mention of People’s Republic of China from the map location, but Twitter has yet not corrected the map to show Leh as part of Union Territory of Ladakh. “It is still showing Leh as part of Jammu and Kashmir, which is against the official position of Government of India,” said the official.
A Spokesperson for Twitter said, "Twitter remains committed to partnering with the Government of India and the Ministry
of Electronics and Information Technology to serve the public conversation. We have duly responded to the letter
and, as part of our correspondence, shared a comprehensive update with the latest developments regarding the geo-tag issue."
The notice has been sent to the global Vice President of Twitter by the Director of the National Cyber Coordination Center.
Twitter has directed to explain within five working days as to why legal action should not be initiated against the company and its representatives for disrespecting the territorial integrity of India by showing incorrect map, sources added. “The legal options before the government include filing an FIR under the criminal laws amendment act leading to imprisonment of upto six months for Twitter executives and the second options is to block access to Twitter in India under Section 66a of the IT Act,” a senior official aware of the matter told ET.
Last month, the government had shot off a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey expressing "disappointment and displeasure" over the wrong representation of Leh in its maps. The row had erupted when it came to government’s notice that Twitter had shown the geo-location of Leh as being a part of Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Republic of China.
In response to the earlier letter, Twitter had removed mention of People’s Republic of China from the map location, but Twitter has yet not corrected the map to show Leh as part of Union Territory of Ladakh. “It is still showing Leh as part of Jammu and Kashmir, which is against the official position of Government of India,” said the official.
A Spokesperson for Twitter said, "Twitter remains committed to partnering with the Government of India and the Ministry
of Electronics and Information Technology to serve the public conversation. We have duly responded to the letter
and, as part of our correspondence, shared a comprehensive update with the latest developments regarding the geo-tag issue."
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9 Comments on this Story
 | Gopal Sriniwasan49 minutes ago File an FIR and arrest Twitter Executives. |
 | gulatigacl1 hour ago Ban & show authority Earn respect for the country by action and not by paperwork |
 | Hemant Pisat1 hour ago Why government is taking so much time to take legal action against Twitter for that matter? What is that taking so long of they are at fault? |