Twitter 'locks' Congress' official handle after accounts of several leaders were suspended for 'violating rules'

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi

The official Twitter handle of the Congress party has been locked for ‘violating rules’, party leaders said on August 12.

This comes a day after several party leaders said that their handles were suspended too and a week after senior leader Rahul Gandhi's handle was temporarily suspended.

"Twitter acting under government pressure. It has already blocked 5000 accounts of our leader and workers across India. They need to understand that we cannot be pressurized by Twitter or the government," said Rohan Gupta, social media head, Congress.

Read: Twitter says Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders accounts blocked for violating rules

The party on August 11 said that Twitter suspended accounts of its media in-charge Randeep Surjewala, AICC general secretary and former minister Ajay Maken, party's whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, Assam in-charge, and former Union minister Jitendra Singh and Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev.

This comes after senior leader Rahul Gandhi’s handle was 'temporarily' locked by Twitter last week after the National Commission for Protection of Child Right issued a notice to the micro-blogging site and asked it to remove the tweet in question

"So! After Shri @RahulGandhi, the Lord @narendramodi Ji and Vassal @Jack & @twitter have locked @rssurjewala, @ajaymaken & @sushmitadevinc. @INCIndia registers its protest and promises to continue the fight for each and all being wronged! We shall hold on @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji (sic)," tweeted Pranav Jha, AICC secretary in charge of Congress Communication Department.

Read | Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account temporarily suspended, due process being followed for its restoration: Congress

Twitter on August 11 told the Delhi High Court that it had temporarily locked Rahul Gandhi’s account and removed his tweet that had a photograph of the parents of a nine-year-old Dalit girl, who was allegedly raped and killed at a crematorium in Southwest Delhi on August 01. The social media giant said that the action was taken as the tweet violated the platform’s policy.

In another tweet, Jha said, "The list goes on. @Twitter locks @JitendraSAlwar and @manickamtagore and many more. Doesn't Modi Ji understand that we @INCindia'ns have a legacy of fighting even from behind the locks of kaala paani. He thinks the virtual locks of Twitter will deter us from fighting for India."

The list goes on@Twitter locks @JitendraSAlwar and @manickamtagore and many more.

Doesn't Modi Ji understand that we @INCindia'ns have a legacy of fighting even from behind the locks of kaala paani? He thinks the virtual locks of twitter will deter us from fighting for India?? — pranav jha (@pranavINC) August 11, 2021

Congress had earlier accused Twitter of acting against Gandhi's account under pressure from the government.

Gandhi's account was suspended after he tweeted pictures with the family of a nine-year-old victim of alleged rape and murder in Delhi last week.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) took cognisance of Gandhi's tweet and directed Twitter to act against the Congress leader's account for violating the privacy of a minor victim, mandated by the laws of the land.

'Shri @RahulGandhi's Twitter account has been temporarily suspended & due process is being followed for its restoration,' the Congress had tweeted from its official handle.