Twitter Withholds Journalists, Canadian Author, and Politicians’ Accounts Amid Punjab Crackdown

Twitter has withheld several accounts belonging to journalists, a Canadian author, and politicians amid a crackdown in Punjab, India. The move has been criticized by free speech advocates and journalists, who argue that it is a violation of the right to free expression.

The accounts withheld by Twitter include those belonging to several prominent journalists, such as Mandeep Punia, Manish Soni, and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, as well as Canadian author and journalist Gurpreet Singh. In addition, the accounts of several politicians from Punjab, including opposition leaders, have also been withheld.

The move comes amid a crackdown by Indian authorities on protests by farmers in Punjab. The farmers are protesting against new agricultural laws that they argue will hurt their livelihoods and benefit large corporations. The protests have been ongoing for several months and have drawn international attention.

Indian authorities have taken a hard line against the protests, and have arrested several activists and journalists who have been covering the events. The crackdown has been criticized by human rights organizations and free speech advocates, who argue that it is a violation of the right to free expression and an attempt to suppress dissent.

Twitter’s decision to withhold the accounts has also been criticized, with free speech advocates arguing that it is a violation of the right to free expression and an attempt to suppress critical reporting on the protests. Twitter has not provided a detailed explanation for why it has withheld the accounts, but has cited legal requests from Indian authorities as the reason for the action.

The withholding of the accounts has raised concerns about the state of free expression and press freedom in India. Critics argue that the government’s actions, as well as Twitter’s compliance with legal requests, are a violation of the right to free expression and an attempt to suppress critical reporting on the protests. They also warn that the withholding of the accounts can have a chilling effect on free expression and access to information, and can impact the lives and livelihoods of those who rely on social media for communication and information-sharing.

network error