‘Criticize us but don't lecture us on democracy’: Ravi Shankar Prasad slams Twitter over new rules
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New Delhi, June 18: Amid the ongoing tussle between the Twitter and Centre, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad once again come heavily on Twitter and said, social media platform should not "lecture us on democracy." He made this remark during the taking with the private media house.
He said, "India was proud of being the world's largest democracy and the government welcomes criticism, but non-compliance of law under the garb of freedom of speech and democracy is not acceptable." He said that India has the distinction of being the world's largest and the most vibrant democracy, and gave the example that the BJP won the Assam assembly polls but lost in West Bengal elections.
He added that in India the judiciary questions the government, the media questions senior ministers. "Today there are 100 crores users of Twitter in India. I am happy. Let them earn money. Allow users to criticise us. Most welcome. But when these profit-making companies start lecturing us on democracy...."
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"I would like to ask a question- India is a democracy because its elections are fair. We won Assam and lost Bengal recently. We have a dependent judiciary that keeps us asking questions like with Covid. We are following. Media asks tough questions from a senior minister. That's what freedom of speech and democracy is about. These issues are important. But under the garb of these, you think you won't comply, then it's a misplaced argument," he stated.
Ravishankar's this remark has come two days after the Indian govt removed the intermediary status of the social media giant after it failed to comply with the New IT rules. With that Twitter can be held responsible for user-generated content.
Talking about it, the minister said, "I am not the one who declared it (removal of Twitter's intermediary status), the law has. If others followed, why couldn't they? We asked for three officers to be appointed in three months and the period had exhausted on May 26. We gave them the last opportunity as a goodwill gesture."
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He said that the govt gave 3 months to Twitter and other social media sites during which others followed the rule but Twitter doesn't comply. He added that according to Rule 7 of (IT) guidelines says if any social media house doesn't comply then under Sec 79 they may lose intermediary status and may become liable to other laws including penal laws of the country
"We gave them (Twitter) three months. Others have followed, they haven't. Rule 7 of (IT) guidelines says if you don't comply then under Sec 79 you may lose intermediary status and may become liable to other laws including penal laws of the country," Prasad said.