Stop beating around the bush, comply with Indian laws: Govt hits back at Twitter

The government said Twitter needs to stop beating around the bush and comply with the laws of the land. It said Twitter is just a social media platform and has no locus in dictating what India's legal policy framework should be.

The central government on Thursday hit back at Twitter and said the social media giant should stop beating around the bush and comply with the rules framed by the Ministry of Information and Technology. In a statement, the government said it "strongly controverts" the claims made by Twitter in its press release. "India has a glorious tradition of free speech and democratic practices dating back centuries. Protecting free speech in India is not the prerogative of only a private, for-profit, foreign entity like Twitter, but it is the commitment of the world's largest democracy and its robust institutions," the government said in the statement.