Govt writes to Twitter over location settings showing Leh as part of China

The government has written to Jack Dorsey, the CEO of social networking site Twitter disapproving “misrepresentation of map of India” and asked the company to “respect sensitivities of Indian citizens”, sources said.

Some days back, the social media platform’s location settings showed Leh as part of China. “Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir are integral and inalienable parts of India governed by the Constitution of India”, the government reminded Twitter.

Earlier, the geo-location of Leh, which is the headquarters of the Union Territory of Ladakh, was shown on Twitter as part of China. Leh is the largest town in Ladakh.

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The government, sources said, conveyed to Twitter that any attempt by the social media giant to “disrespect sovereignty and integrity of India, which is also reflected by the maps, is totally unacceptable” and “unlawful”.

“Such attempts not only bring disrepute to Twitter but also raises questions about its neutrality and fairness as an intermediary,” IT Secretary Ajay Sawhney said in the letter.

The government’s warning to Twitter comes amid the tense standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. Tension peaked in June when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the line of duty in a clash with the Chinese at Galwan Valley.

There have been several rounds of military and diplomatic talks between the two sides to resolve the standoff but the Chinese have refused to adhere to agreements on restoring status quo.

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.