India slams ex-Twitter chief's claims of pressure as 'outright lie'

Minister says all platforms, foreign or local, must follow country's laws

The Indian authorities applied heavy pressure to Twitter to deal with accounts critical of New Delhi's handling of protests in 2021, according to the platform's co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey. (Source photos by AP)

KIRAN SHARMA, Nikkei staff writer

June 13, 2023 19:48 JST

NEW DELHI -- India's government on Tuesday rejected an accusation by Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey that it threatened to shut down the microblogging platform's operations in the past, with a minister calling the claims an "outright lie."

Dorsey on Monday had accused the Indian authorities of applying heavy pressure, during an interview with a YouTube program. Although Dorsey is no longer at Twitter, which was sold to Elon Musk for $44 billion last year, the spat casts a fresh spotlight on New Delhi's complicated relationship with the company and social media in general.