Government Pulls Up Twitter for Showing Leh as Part of China

In a stern letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, the government has conveyed its strong disapproval over Twitter’s misrepresentation of the Indian map for displaying a part of Leh, the largest district of the Union Territory of Ladakh, as part of China. The government has issued a warning to Twitter saying that any attempt by the micro-blogging platform to disrespect the country’s sovereignty and integrity is totally unacceptable.

IT Secretary Ajay Sawhney in a strongly-worded letter said that such attempts not only bring disrepute to Twitter, but also raises questions about its neutrality and fairness as an intermediary. Twitter had shown the geo-location, “Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Republic of China”.

The IT secretary, in his letter, has reminded Twitter that Leh is the headquarter of Union Territory of Ladakh, and that both Ladakh as well as Jammu and Kashmir are integral and inalienable parts of India, governed by the Constitution of India. Ladakh was carved out from Jammu and Kashmir and granted the union territory status on August 5 last year when the centre scrapped the special status and split it into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The government has asked Twitter to respect the sensitivities of Indian citizens, and has also made it clear that any attempt by Twitter to disrespect sovereignty and integrity of India, which is also reflected by the maps, is totally unacceptable and unlawful.

India and China have been embroiled in a bitter stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since May this year and several rounds of negotiations has not yet resulted in a resolution. The Chinese have refused to adhere to agreements on restoring status quo. India had recently handed back a Chinese soldier who had strayed across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) into eastern Ladakh after a request was received from the Chinese army about the soldier’s whereabouts.

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