Hyderabad: The micro-blogging site, Twitter has suspended the handle @withkashmir_ that was getting quite a bit of attention after the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir and its stem 35 A.
The handle @withkashmir_ was created in August 2016 and has over 12.5 lakh followers. The account, that identifies itself as ‘censored. Not silenced’, has been posting news about the situation in the Valley.
It has been posting information on the movement of troops, stone-pelting and so on. It has also gathered information from Twitter users based in Kashmir on various developments, and a series of the hashtag was created in support of those who stood against the scrapping of Article 370. However, the three-year-old account turned inactive on Wednesday.
The suspension indicates that Twitter is actively observing handles and analysing the content, or the online support team are receiving a spat of complaints to block handles that are considered by the complainants to be “anti-government”.
There was an outcry by the handle’s followers, but Twitter stood firm and has not reactivated it till Thursday. A large number of Indian users have applauded Twitter’s move in suspending the account on the grounds that it was spreading “fake news” resulting in a tense situation.
A number of other handles in favour of Kashmir and against the scrapping of Article 370 have surfaced after the revocation.
This also comes at a time when the micro-blogging site has initiated a crack down on handles of influencers, without issuing a reason behind suspension.
