IT Ministry Issues Stern Warning To Twitter for showing Leh and J&K in China

New Delhi, October 22: Giving the strict warning to the microblogging site over misrepresentation of the map of Jammu & Kashmir/Ladakh, Ministry of Electronics and IT Ajay Sawhney has written a stern letter to CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey and asked him to "respect sensitivities".

 

 

He also conveyed strong disapproval of the Indian government over misrepresentation of the map of India. In his stern letter, the IT Secretary reminded Twitter that Leh is the headquarter of Union Territory of Ladakh, and both Ladakh, as well as Jammu and Kashmir, are integral and inalienable parts of India, governed by the Constitution of India.

 

IT Secretary Ajay Sawhney said that any attempt by the social media platform to disrespect the sovereignty and integrity of the country is not only unacceptable but also unlawful. Such misrepresentations bring disrespute to the platform and raise questions on its neutrality and fairness, the letter stated.

 

It mentions that such attempts not only bring disrepute to Twitter but also raise questions on its neutrality, fairness as an intermediary. He also has asked Twitter to respect the sensitivities of Indian citizens.

 

Meanwhile Reacting to the letter from the Indian ministry, a Twitter spokesperson said, “Twitter remains committed to working with the Government of India. We respect the sensitivities involved and have duly acknowledged the letter.”

 

 

 

This letter has come after Nitin Gokhale posted a Screenshot in which Twitter had shown the geo-location of Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Republic of China. Twitter had responded to the controversy saying it was an error in geo-tagging. A spokesperson said "We became aware of this technical issue on Sunday, & understand & respect the sensitivities around it. Teams have worked swiftly to investigate & resolve the concerned geotag issue."