Social media too needs regulations: Sibal

Refusing to be labeled as an enemy of the social media, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal has called for the Internet to be governed by regulations similar to the print and the electronic media.

'Who says that? I don't understand how I am an enemy?' retorted the minister during a discussion that followed the launch of his new book of poetry here last evening where it was suggested that certain sections of the media had labeled him as an enemy of the social media.

'The print media is subject to the laws of this country, the electronic media is subject to the laws of this country, My only question is why should social media not be a subject?

'You can't print something or see something on television however social media has greater rights than the print or the electronic media...that does not make me enemy of the freedom of speech. In fact I have always fought for the freedom there is just no rationality of discourse,' he said.

The minister said it was 'imperialism' to 'accept somebody saying that since my server is in the US I don't care about the laws of the country'.

When it was suggested that Sibal send a poem on Google, the minister responded, 'They don't have any sense of humour.'

Sibal's whose second volume of poetry titled 'My world within' saw him take potshots at the Left Parties. In his poem 'The Fissile Left' the minister urges the Left Parties who had withdrawn support to UPA I to 'see beyond their noses.'

He however painted Surjeet as a 'healer' and had kind comments for Jyoti Basu.