Many Twitter accounts locked, Congress falls back on other online platforms
A hashtag #TwitterBJPseDarGaya (Twitter is afraid of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party) also trended following the locking of Twitter handles
The Congress leadership has fallen back on other online platforms after nearly 5,000 Twitter accounts, including those of several senior leaders and the party’s official handle, were temporarily locked on Thursday after they shared a photograph of Rahul Gandhi meeting a minor rape victim’s family in Delhi. Gandhi’s account was locked on Saturday. The party has attacked the Union government for scuttling free speech even as Twitter maintained it “impartially” enforces its rules and terms of service.
Most Congress leaders and workers have changed profile pictures and names of their Twitter handles to that of Rahul Gandhi over the locking of his profile.
“They can lock us out on a platform, but they can’t lockout our voice for the sake of people,” Gandhi said in an Instagram post after his Twitter handle was locked. Gandhi added that “if fighting for justice of a rape and murder victim is a crime, then I am guilty.”
He said his Twitter account was locked out because all he had done was shown empathy and compassion towards the victim of rape. “Fear not as the truth alone shall win.”
A hashtag #TwitterBJPseDarGaya (Twitter is afraid of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party) also trended following the locking of Twitter handles.
Congress also put out a video on its YouTube channel condemning Twitter’s action while “none in the government bothered to utter a word on the rape and murder of the Dalit minor”. The party said Gandhi could not stop himself from meeting the parents of the victim while criticising the government over its alleged inaction.
