India has warned Twitter over its location setting that showed Leh in China, saying any disrespect of the country’s sovereignty and integrity is totally unacceptable.
In a strongly worded letter, Ajay Sawhney, Secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), asked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to respect the sensitivities, sources in the Ministry said.
Twitter came under heavy criticism and faced backlash from social media users after its geotagging feature displayed “Jammu & Kashmir, People’s Republic of China” in a live broadcast from Leh’s Hall of Fame, a war memorial for fallen soldiers in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
This triggered angry responses from netizens who demanded that stringent action be initiated against the micro-blogging platform.
Twitter, earlier this week, called it a technical issue which has been swiftly resolved.
Sources said Mr. Sawhney, in the letter sent on Wednesday evening, warned Twitter that any attempt to undermine the sovereignty and integrity of India will not just bring disrepute to the micro-blogging site but also raises questions about its neutrality and fairness as an intermediary.
He reminded Twitter that Leh is the headquarters of the Union Territory of Ladakh. And that both Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir are integral and inalienable parts of India, governed by the Constitution.
When contacted, Twitter in an e-mail response said: “Twitter remains committed to working with the Government of India. We respect the sensitivities involved and have duly acknowledged the letter.”
