'No reason for Jack Dorsey to lie but every reason for...', says ex-IT minister Kapil Sibal

On a YouTube show, the ex-Twitter CEO alleged there was ‘pressure’ on him from the Indian government during the year-long farmers' protests.

Published on: Jun 13, 2023, 11:21:26 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Reacting to the Centre's ‘outright lie' response to former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's claims on farmers' protest, ex-IT minister Kapil Sibal on Tuesday remarked that while Dorsey had no reason to lie, the BJP-led central government had ‘every reason’ to do so.

Ex-Union minister Kapil Sibal (File Photo/ANI) (Sanjay Sharma)

"Jack Dorsey

Ex-Twitter CEO said :

BJP government during farmers protest threatened:

To shut down Twitter-India offices

Raid homes of Twitter-India employees

Minister denies

Some have no reason to lie

Others every reason to lie !"

A vocal critic of the BJP regime and prime minister Narendra Modi, Sibal, an independent Rajya Sabha MP who resigned from the Congress last year, was the IT minister under then PM Manmohan Singh's Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, holding the portfolio from Jan 2011 to May 2014.

What is the controversy?

Dorsey, who co-founded the social media giant and was the CEO of its namesake parent company until his departure from the role in November 2021 – Elon Musk bought Twitter in October last year but the ex-CEO retained his 2.4% ownership – spoke about India's year-long farmers' protest (Nov 2020-2021), doing so on a YouTube show, ‘Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar.’

Also Read | ‘Outright lie’: Govt rejects ex-Twitter CEO Dorsey's ‘shut down’, ‘raid’ claims

There, he was asked by the hosts if, as the chief executive officer, he ever faced ‘pressure’ from a foreign government. On this, the 46-year-old said: "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; ‘we will shut down your offices if you don't follow suit’. And this is India, a democratic country.”

How has the government responded?

Rajeev Chandrashekar, the Minister of State for Electronics and Technology, described the claims as an 'outright lie.'

"No one went to jail nor was Twitter ‘shutdown’…India as a sovereign nation has the right to ensure that its laws are followed by all companies operating in India,” the minister said in a tweet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.