Twitter faces backlash in India, gets 48-hours deadline to explain why it blocked accounts of RS Prasad, Shashi Tharoor

In yet another setback for Twitter in India, the messaging platform has come under attack for its actions here. Twitter had blocked accounts of Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor without any warning. Now, according to PTI sources, a Parliamentary panel has given Twitter just 48 hours to explain why it had taken such an extreme step.

This newest development has further added to the already simmering row in which Twitter is involved with the government over its acts of omission and commission, including interpretation of new IT rules and for not following local laws.

The panel was instructed by Tharoor to seek reply from Twitter on the blocking of access to accounts of Prasad and others on its platform, the sources said.