Congress 'toolkit' case: Delhi Police issues notice to Twitter, seeks explanation for 'manipulated media' flag

The Police has asked BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra to present at the police station either physically of virtually. (File image)

Delhi Police has sent a notice to Twitter seeking an explanation for flagging the BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra's tweet on alleged Congress tweet as "manipulated media".

The special cell of Delhi Police has issued the notice, ANI reported.

Earlier, the government had also asked the microblogging platform to remove the "manipulated media" tag from the tweets saying that "an inquiry would reveal whether it is manipulated or not".

Twitter recently labelled as "manipulated media" a tweet of Patra on the alleged toolkit prepared by Congress to target the Narendra Modi government.

Twitter says it "may label Tweets that include media (videos, audio, and images) that have been deceptively altered or fabricated."

The Congress had subsequently written to Twitter asking it to permanently suspend the accounts of BJP president JP Nadda, Union minister Smriti Irani, Patra and other BJP leaders for allegedly "spreading misinformation and unrest in the society".

The Congress had said the toolkit documents flagged by the BJP are "fake" and has filed a police complaint against its leaders. The BJP has been attacking Congress over some controversial content of the so-called 'Covid' toolkit.

Raipur police in Chhattisgarh had also asked Patra to appear before it in person or through video-conferencing on May 23 in connection with an FIR lodged against him and senior colleague Raman Singh over an alleged fake toolkit.

However, Patra exempted himself citing personal reasons.

The case was filed at the Civil Lines police station following a complaint lodged by Akash Sharma, president of the National Students' Union of India's (NSUI) Chhattisgarh unit who alleged that Singh, Patra and others had circulated a fake "toolkit" using the letterhead of the Congress.