Based on a complaint by an office bearer of the Bajrang Dal, the militant wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad of the RSS, the Uttar Pradesh police in Bulandshahr on Tuesday morning booked two senior executives of Twitter over an incorrect map of India on its website, which showed Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as a separate country.
This is the second FIR against Twitter this month in UP as troubles mount for the social media giant, even as its standoff with the Indian government continues.
The FIR names Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari and news partnerships head Amrita Tripathi as accused and they have been booked under Indian Penal Code section 505 (2) (public mischief). The FIR has also invoked charges under the Information Technology Act section 74 (publication for fraudulent purpose).
Twitter did not respond to an email questionnaire sent by ET at the time of going to press. But Tripathi, without mentioning any FIR, posted on Twitter on Tuesday: “So is this a good time to clarify my role at my day job? As good a time as any? Presently on the content partnerships team at Twitter (in India). No spl powers/ authority and definitely not at the level some of you think.”
The complainant Praveen Bhati, a lawyer and sah sanyojak (co-coordinator) of the Bajrang Dal’s Bulandshahr unit told ET that his complaint was to "save the country from forces that were trying to create division in the country.
“While our soldiers are laying down their lives for the country, how can they show Kashmir as separate from India," he said. Bhati was among the most active Hindutva activists during the anti- CAA protests, and has filed many cases against students of Jamia and AMU for their remarks on the Indian army and Indian government, including one on a 21 year old female student for her Instagram post critical of the Handwara encounter of terrorists by the Indian security forces.
The contested map that was taken down subsequently had appeared on the career section of the Twitter website under the header ‘Tweep Life' and was flagged by members of some right-wing organisations on Monday.
Calling the map an act of treason, however, Bhati told ET that "he was hurt by the map, and will not spare anyone who threatens to divide the country... Thankfully, the government has come up with strict rules (new rules for intermediaries) for these companies to comply. They cannot get away with this anymore."
Dixit Kumar Tyagi, SHO at the Khurja Nagar police station in Bulandhshahr told ET that as per standard investigation norms, evidence would be collected now, including also information and pictorial representation of the map in question on the basis of which the police will decide its course of action.
In the past four years, international media houses such as CNN, Al Jazeera and BBC have also had face-offs with the Indian government for using maps that show parts of J&K and Ladakh as contested areas. The news organisations had then told the Indian government that they use maps that are compatible with the latest ones approved by United Nations and global agencies, even as the ministries for Information and broadcasting, and external affairs insisted they used only the maps released by the Surveyor General of India (SGI).
Al Jazeera was also taken off air for five days in 2015 as a penalty, while in November last year, the government issued a notice to Twitter for showing Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, instead of Ladakh.
The need for diplomatic intervention in this matter has also been raised in parliamentary committees related to home, external affairs and broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that he had directed Director General of Police (DGP) Vivek Johri to investigate the matter and take legal action against Twitter for "distorting" India's map.
"Sometimes unrestrained words are spoken against Bharat Mata and sometimes a wrong map of the country is displayed on Twitter. These issues cannot be taken lightly," he said.
This is the second FIR against Twitter this month in UP as troubles mount for the social media giant, even as its standoff with the Indian government continues.
The FIR names Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari and news partnerships head Amrita Tripathi as accused and they have been booked under Indian Penal Code section 505 (2) (public mischief). The FIR has also invoked charges under the Information Technology Act section 74 (publication for fraudulent purpose).
Twitter did not respond to an email questionnaire sent by ET at the time of going to press. But Tripathi, without mentioning any FIR, posted on Twitter on Tuesday: “So is this a good time to clarify my role at my day job? As good a time as any? Presently on the content partnerships team at Twitter (in India). No spl powers/ authority and definitely not at the level some of you think.”
The complainant Praveen Bhati, a lawyer and sah sanyojak (co-coordinator) of the Bajrang Dal’s Bulandshahr unit told ET that his complaint was to "save the country from forces that were trying to create division in the country.
“While our soldiers are laying down their lives for the country, how can they show Kashmir as separate from India," he said. Bhati was among the most active Hindutva activists during the anti- CAA protests, and has filed many cases against students of Jamia and AMU for their remarks on the Indian army and Indian government, including one on a 21 year old female student for her Instagram post critical of the Handwara encounter of terrorists by the Indian security forces.
The contested map that was taken down subsequently had appeared on the career section of the Twitter website under the header ‘Tweep Life' and was flagged by members of some right-wing organisations on Monday.
Calling the map an act of treason, however, Bhati told ET that "he was hurt by the map, and will not spare anyone who threatens to divide the country... Thankfully, the government has come up with strict rules (new rules for intermediaries) for these companies to comply. They cannot get away with this anymore."
Dixit Kumar Tyagi, SHO at the Khurja Nagar police station in Bulandhshahr told ET that as per standard investigation norms, evidence would be collected now, including also information and pictorial representation of the map in question on the basis of which the police will decide its course of action.
In the past four years, international media houses such as CNN, Al Jazeera and BBC have also had face-offs with the Indian government for using maps that show parts of J&K and Ladakh as contested areas. The news organisations had then told the Indian government that they use maps that are compatible with the latest ones approved by United Nations and global agencies, even as the ministries for Information and broadcasting, and external affairs insisted they used only the maps released by the Surveyor General of India (SGI).
Al Jazeera was also taken off air for five days in 2015 as a penalty, while in November last year, the government issued a notice to Twitter for showing Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, instead of Ladakh.
The need for diplomatic intervention in this matter has also been raised in parliamentary committees related to home, external affairs and broadcasting.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that he had directed Director General of Police (DGP) Vivek Johri to investigate the matter and take legal action against Twitter for "distorting" India's map.
"Sometimes unrestrained words are spoken against Bharat Mata and sometimes a wrong map of the country is displayed on Twitter. These issues cannot be taken lightly," he said.
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