NEW DELHI: The Indian government on Tuesday said that all Internet intermediaries and social media platforms have to comply with the law of the land, after Twitter moved the Karnataka High Court against its order to take down some content on its platform.
Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in a tweet that all foreign intermediaries and platforms have a right to approach the court and judicial review in India.
"But equally, all intermediary/platforms operating here have an unambiguous obligation to comply with our laws and rules, " Chandrasekhar posted.
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that "be it any company, in any sector, they should abide by the laws of India".
Earlier in the day, Twitter moved the Karnataka High Court against the Indian government's order to take down some content on its platform, on the grounds that the content blocking orders from the IT Ministry do not pass "the test of the grounds provided under Section 69A of the IT Act".
Twitter alleged in its writ petition that multiple accounts and content included in the blocking orders are either "overbroad and arbitrary", fail to provide notice to the "originators" of the content, and are "disproportionate" in several cases, sources told IANS.
In a June letter, the IT Ministry had warned Twitter of strict action if it does not comply with some content takedown orders.
Twitter has now sought judicial review of some of the content that forms a part of various blocking orders, requesting relief from the court to set aside these blocking orders.
"These blocking orders are being challenged on the basis that they are procedurally and substantially deficient of the Section 69A requirements, " read the writ petition.
India, who had defeated China 7-1 and 2-1 in the FIH Pro League matches in Oman in January this year, were the better team on the field, had a better possession and created more chances. They managed to earn five penalty corners to two by China but could convert only one.
Chinese dominated the ball possession in the initial minutes of the game but India soon shook off their nerves and made some circle penetrations but could not take an early lead. One such opportunity came in the 6th minute when Sharmila Devi and Navneet Kaur worked in tandem to take a shot on goal. But Navneet's strike was blocked by a Chinese defender.
India started the second quarter on a better note and penetrated the Chinese defence on several occasions.
India thought they had taken lead in the 23rd minute when a shot taken by Vandana Katariya bounced into the goal off Jyoti's body. China got the decision reversed by the video umpire.
India bagged a penalty corner but the chances went Gurjit Kaur's powerful drag-flick was blocked away by the Chinese goalie Liu Ping.
China took the lead in the 25th minute when off a pass by Zhang Xindan off a superb counterattack, Zheng Jiali got the ball on the top of the shooting circle, moved in and fired a shot past goalkeeper Savita.
India tried some impressive formations in their attack, earning the team another PC in the 27th minute but Monika, who took the shot couldn't make much of the chance as the teams went into half-time with China leading 1-0.
In the third quarter, China earned their first PC while India bagged two penalty corners, the second of which resulted in India equalising scores in the 44th minute. It was the experienced striker Vandana Katariya, who once again, was the cynosure of India's PC attack. She picked up a brilliant deflection off Gurjit's fiercely-struck drag-flick sending the ball flying past the Chinese goalie.
India showed more urgency to convert a goal in the final quarter and they also defended well to keep the pressure on their opponents. They even warded off danger in the 56th minute when they conceded a PC, but they did well with the line defence to clear the ball.