Ahmedabad:
The government's order to block Twitter handles and nearly 300 Web pages which it says threaten communal harmony and a fragile peace, led to outrage on Twitter. Hashtags like Emergency2012 and GOIBlocks protested against the government's decision. Many turned their pictures black in protests and now Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi too has joined the protest.
He tweeted today that he joins the crackdown on freedom of speech, and has turned his digital picture black.
"As a common man, I join the protest against crackdown on freedom of speech! Changed my DP. 'Sabko Samnati De Bhagwan' (May God give wisdom to all)," he posted on #GOIBlocks.
As a mark of their protest many netizens have joined '#GOIBlocks' which is trending (bulletin board where everybody can express their opinion on the subject) on Twitter.
Instead of Mr Modi's image, the picture display section on his Twitter account today showed a blank space, along with the message denouncing the Centre's move to "muzzle" social media.
There are around 40 million Facebook and 16 million Twitter users in India.
What prompted the Centre to step in is the 'provocative' mobile phone text messages being in circulation and doctored website images about Assam and Myanmar violence going viral, resulting in exodus of northeast people from some states fearing attacks on them by Muslims.