Modi joins netizens to protest curbs on social media.
24/08/2012 21:52:30  TOI


Gujarat chief minister 
Narendra Modi

 has joined protests against the Congress-led UPA government's clampdown on the internet by putting up a black image as his display picture on 
Twitter

 handle.




He tweeted, "As a common man, I join the protest against crackdown on freedom of speech! Have changed my DP. 'Sabko Sanmati De Bhagwan.'#GOIBlocks"




#GOIBlocks

 was a topic trending on Twitter almost whole of yesterday, as Twitterati criticised the central government's move to block over 300 web pages.




Modi's move comes at a time when there is a growing dissent against the government's decision to get several URLs and Twitter handles blocked on the pretext of banning inflammatory content. The curbs on social media started after the exodus of the people of Northeast descent from certain parts of the country after they received death threats from certain quarters.




Modi is among the first few leaders to speak against the government's actions in the face of impending danger to citizens from northeast India. Earlier, another BJP leader, had spoken out against the ruling party's decision to block the Twitter handles of some journalists.




The spokesperson for BJP Maharashtra, Madhav Bhandari, said that the country was facing an "Emergency-like situation." He termed it as "murder of liberty and right of free political speech." However, as a party BJP has not said anything on the issue. 




Earlier in the day, the Twitter account of Milind Deora, the minister of state for communications and information technology, was suspended by the microblogging site.




While Deora reportedly claimed that his account had not been blocked but was being verified. The news, however, spread like wildfire on Twitter with some terming it to be 'poetic justice'.




On Thursday, Deora had defended the Congress-led UPA government's efforts to block hate content on the internet on the microblogging site. His comments received a lot of flak from netizens, with many terming it a 'lie' and questioning the intentions of the government.