India warns Twitter, says misrepresentation of map unacceptable

This picture has been used for representational purpose only

Taking strong exception to misrepresentation of the India map, the government has written a stern letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, saying that any attempt by the platform to disrespect the sovereignty and integrity of India, which is also reflected by the maps, is totally unacceptable.

The same is also unlawful, Ajay Sawhney, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and IT, said in the letter, according to IT Ministry sources. The government issued the letter after Twitter wrongly showed Jammu and Kashmir as part of China. Twitter later said that it quickly resolved the "technical issue".

"We became aware of this technical issue on Sunday, and understand and respect the sensitivities around it. The teams have worked swiftly to investigate and resolve the concerned geotag issue," a Twitter spokesperson said earlier this week.

The issue was first brought to attention by national security analyst Nitin Gokhale after he went live on Twitter from the Hall of Fame, a war memorial at Leh. He discovered that the location of the war memorial at Leh was shown as "Jammu and Kashmir, People's Republic of China."

The IT Secretary in his letter reminded Twitter that Leh is the headquarter of the Union Territory of Ladakh and both Ladakh as well as Jammu and Kashmir are integral and inalienable parts of India governed by the Constitution of India. He had asked Twitter to respect the sensitivities of Indian citizens.

The IT Secretary mentioned that any attempt to misrepresent the country's map not only brings disrepute to Twitter but also raises questions about its neutrality and fairness as an intermediary.

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