Twitter maintaining double standards in India: G Kishan Reddy

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Saturday accused Twitter of maintaining double standards in India and said that Twitter and other foreign companies should not teach the largest democratic country about fundamental rights and human rights.

When asked regarding Telegram, Facebook and Google are ready to comply With India's new IT Rules but Twitter is yet to respond, MoS Home Affairs told ANI, "Twitter has been following the Rule of Land in the other countries but is maintaining double standards for India. Twitter is trying to teach India about fundamental rights. It does not need to teach us."

"We need not learn about the fundamental rights and human rights from Twitter and other foreign companies. India is the largest democratic country. Our Constitution is our asset," Reddy said.

Earlier on Thursday, Twitter had said that it was concerned by recent events regarding their employees in India and the potential threat to freedom of expression.

"Concerned by recent events regarding our employees in India and potential threat to freedom of expression for people we serve. We have concerns with regards to intimidation police's tactics in response to enforcement of global Terms of Service and core elements of the new IT Rules," a Twitter spokesperson said.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) on Friday had asked the microblogging company to "stop beating around the bush" and "comply with the laws of the land". In a statement on Thursday, MeitY asserted that India had a "glorious tradition of free speech and democratic practices" and Twitter's statements were an 'attempt to dictate its terms to the world's largest democracy.

In a statement on Thursday, MeitY asserted that India had a "glorious tradition of free speech and democratic practices" and Twitter's statements were an 'attempt to dictate its terms to the world's largest democracy.

On May 24, the Delhi Police visited the Twitter India offices after it issued notice to Twitter seeking an explanation on what grounds it tagged BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra's tweet on the alleged Congress toolkit designed to target the Central government as 'manipulated media'.

The Delhi Police Special Cell asked Twitter to explain the rationale and share all the information on how it described the toolkit as manipulated media.

MoS G Kishan Reddy also slammed the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for arriving late at a cyclone review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that people should re-think about electing such Chief Minister.

"The people in West Bengal have been affected by the Cyclone Yaas. The Prime Minister himself visited the state to provide confidence to the people. The Chief Minister should have come forward to help the Centre in rehabilitation and should not have politicised the matter," Reddy said.

"Politics will not help in the development of the state or the development of people. Mamata has no desire to develop infrastructure in the state or people. People should re-think about electing such CM," he added.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting at Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur district in West Bengal to take stock of the post cyclonic situation. Mamata Banerjee was supposed to attend the meeting. However, she arrived late by 30 minutes and handed him over reports of damage caused by the impact of Cyclone Yaas. Following this, she left for her pre-scheduled meeting at Digha.

Banerjee asked for a ₹20,000 crore relief package from the Centre after a cyclonic storm Yaas ravaged several parts of the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conducted an aerial survey of the cyclone-affected areas in West Bengal and Odisha. Cyclone Yaas made its landfall in West Bengal on Wednesday. Several districts including Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, South 24 Pargana and Jhargram suffered the impact in the last two days. The coastal areas like Digha and Sundarban were the worst affected.