Union Minister Anurag Thakur slammed former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for his statements claiming that the Twitter team was pressurised by Modi government during the farmers' protest. Hitting back at Dorsey's claims, Thakur said that these statements are an attempt to cover up his own misdeeds. Thakur also mentioned that Twitter Files has brought forward about how the platform was being misused earlier.
"What was said, is a blatant lie. Jack Dorsey woke up after years of sleep & wants to cover up his misdeeds. When Twitter was bought by another person, it was revealed in 'Twitter Files' how was the platform being misused. Jack Dorsey has not been able to answer this to date because he was exposed...Several foreign forces wake up when elections approach India..." said Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
Jack Dorsey's Allegations
During an interview, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey claimed that the Indian government had made numerous requests to block accounts and withhold information related to the farmers' protest and journalists critical of the government.
He highlighted instances of threats to shut down Twitter operations in India and raid Twitter employees' homes if the company did not comply. Dorsey portrayed these actions as an attempt to suppress dissent in a democratic country.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar's Response
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister for Information and Technology, strongly criticized Jack Dorsey's claims, calling them a falsehood. Chandrasekhar dismissed the notion that raids or arrests took place, clarifying that the government's focus was solely on ensuring compliance with Indian laws.
He also accused Twitter, under Dorsey's leadership, of displaying partisan behaviour and failing to address misinformation on the platform in India while taking action in similar situations in the USA.
Jack Dorsey's Departure and Twitter's Acquisition
Jack Dorsey had announced his departure from the Twitter board in May 2022 after being associated with the company for almost 16 years. Speculations surrounding Elon Musk's potential takeover of Twitter circulated at the time. Eventually, Elon Musk's Tesla acquired Twitter in a $44 billion deal in October 2022, following a series of negotiations and changes in plans.
