The statement of former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has created a stir in India and the comments are not going well with the government. Now, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur has hit out at Dorsey and said that he woke up after years of sleep and wants to cover his misdeeds. Citing Elon Musk's 'Twitter Files', Thakur said that it revealed how the platform was being misused. The remarks came after the micro-blogging platform's co-founder alleged that the Indian government pressurised Twitter to 'block' some accounts during farmer protest and threatened of closing its India offices.
"What was said, is a blatant lie. Jack Dorsey woke up after years of sleep & wants to cover up his misdeeds. When Twitter was bought by another person, it was revealed in 'Twitter Files' how was the platform being misused. Jack Dorsey has not been able to answer this to date because he was exposed...Several foreign forces wake up when elections approach India..." says Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
In an interview with a YouTube news channel Breaking Points, Dorsey claimed that Twitter received many requests to block accounts covering farmers’ protests, and journalists critical of the government.
“India for example, India is one of the countries which had many requests around farmers protests, around particular journalists which were critical of the government, and it manifested in ways such as we will shut Twitter down in India… we would raid the homes of your employees', which they did,” Dorsey could be heard saying in the interview.
BJP MP and former IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also reacted to the comment. He said, "It is totally baseless, lie...who is Jack Dorsey- who was kicked out of his own Twitter. His thinking was was against India."
"When anti-Iindia people reached Red Fort during farmer protest....then Indian govt asked Twitter what they are showing and we protested," Prasad said.
He added, "When people attacked the US capitol, you (Twitter) banned it and when anti-India people were protesting against us, beating police personnel, they were showing it on their platform."