Rakesh Tikait backs Twitter ex-CEO's claim of India pressurising to limit farmers' protest

Ex-CEO of Twitter claimed that the Indian government had threatened to shut down the company in India if accounts covering farmers' protest were not closed. Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said what is being said is correct.

New Delhi: Farmer leader, Rakesh Tikait on Tuesday backed former CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey's claim that the microblogging site was pressurised by India during farmers' protest saying they too had information that the protest did not reach the social media platforms in the manner that was expected.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader, Tikait, who had played a key role during the farmers' protest against three controversial farm laws two years ago, complained that the government had tried to stop the protest at the local level. "He (Dorsey) has rightly pointed out the issue now. But, whenever the government tries to stop such companies they do not come under any pressure. The Government of India must have surely made such attempts. What is being said about the issue is correct," Tikait said.

In 2020, a massive farmers' protest was launched over the three controversial farm bills known as the Indian Agriculture Acts, 2020. Following sustained protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced to repeal those the next year. Modi had then said that the government was unable to convince the farmers on the farm laws issue.

Dorsey had alleged that the company had got requests from Indian government to block accounts that were covering the farmers' protest and those that were critical of the government. A clip of his interview to a YouTube channel was shared on Twitter by the Indian Youth Congress and National Students' Union of India on Monday.

Dorsey, who resigned from Twitter board last year told in the interview that India was among those countries that had told the microblogging site about farmers' protest and journalists who were critical of the government. He claimed threats were issued of shutting down Twitter in India and raiding the homes of their employees if they did not follow suit.