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Updated December 2nd, 2020 at 23:11 IST

Centre orders Wikipedia to remove link showing wrong map of J&K, warns of blocking site

The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology has directed Wikipedia to remove the link of a website showing the wrong map of Jammu & Kashmir.

Reported by: Digital Desk
J&K
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After pulling up Twitter for endorsing an erred map of Jammu & Kashmir, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has now flagged Wikipedia for showing a wrong map of the Indian territory, as per sources. The Central Ministry has directed the 'digital encyclopedia' to remove the link of a website showing the wrong map of Jammu & Kashmir. The Ministry has issued an order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

The matter had come to fore after it was flagged by a Twitter user, who highlighted that given link carrying information on India-Bhutan relationship had an incorrect map of the J&K Union territory. As per PTI sources, the Ministry had issued the order directing Wikipedia to remove the link on November 27, 2020, as it violated the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India. The sources also added that Centre has issued a stern warning to Wikipedia for a possible legal action which includes blocking access to the entire platform.

Twitter tenders apology

Earlier, the Ministry had pulled up Twitter and issued a stern warning to the micro-blogging website for showing Jammu & Kashmir as a part of China. The controversy had come to for on October 18 when national security analyst Nitin Gokhale noticed that his location (near Leh airport) was displaying 'Jammu and Kashmir, the People's Republic of China' on Twitter. Subsequently, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 had expressed strong displeasure over the geotagging issue and asked Twitter to submit a written apology and an affidavit. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on October 22 reminding him that Leh is the headquarter of Ladakh and that both Ladakh and J&K are 'integral and inalienable parts of India, governed by the Constitution of India'. MeitY Secretary Ajay Sawhney, in his letter, asked the micro-blogging site to respect the sensitivities of Indian citizens. In response, Twitter had issued a statement stressing that it was aware of the sensitivities around the issue and that its teams are working swiftly on the matter. 

Speaking exclusively to Republic TV on Wednesday, Meenakshi Lekhi- the chairperson of Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 had confirmed development. According to her, this showed the strength of the people of India. Additionally, she revealed that Twitter's process of implementing the corrective measures in the geotagging issue would be completed by November 30.

(With inputs from PTI)

READ | SHOCKING: Twitter Shows India's Leh In 'Jammu-Kashmir, People's Republic Of China'

READ | Twitter Terms Displaying Leh In 'J&K, People's Republic Of China' As 'technical Issue'

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Published December 2nd, 2020 at 23:11 IST

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