Even as India issued amendments to the country’s IT Rules on Friday and twitterati here remained divided over the impact of Elon Musk’s takeover of the micro-blogging site, the government made it clear that it expects Twitter, and all such companies, to follow local laws.

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter Inc. will not change India’s expectation that it must comply with the country’s existing and upcoming new IT rules, a minister told Reuters on Friday.

Over the past two years, Indian authorities have asked Twitter to act on content such as accounts supportive of an independent Sikh state, posts alleged to have spread misinformation about protests by farmers, and tweets critical of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our rules and laws for intermediaries remain the same regardless of who owns the platforms,” said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India’s Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, adding, “So, the expectation of compliance with Indian laws and rules remains.”

In July, Twitter had asked an Indian court to overturn some government orders to remove content from the platform.

Chandrasekhar, however, did not respond directly to a question about the banning of individuals from Twitter, such as Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, the Reuters report said.

Elon Musk took ownership of Twitter Inc on Friday and the self-described free speech absolutist has said his desire is to see the company have fewer limits on content that can be posted on the influential social media platform.

Ranaut, an ardent supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had her Twitter account banned for violating its rules on hateful conduct and abusive behaviour last year.

The actress, who has won several top acting awards in India, shared requests from users who appealed to Musk to restore her Twitter account

Ranaut and her team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

She had responded to the ban last year as white Americans trying to “enslave a brown person”.

Opinion Divided on Musk Influence on Twitter: With billionaire Elon Musk closing the deal to buy Twitter and firing the social media firm’s four top executives, twitterati in India on Friday seemed divided with many who were vocal against content moderation on the platform, hailing the development while others sounding a note of caution, a PTI report said.

Musk has completed his USD 44 billion (one billion=100 crore) takeover of Twitter and fired the social media company’s four top executives, including CEO Parag Agrawal and legal executive Vijaya Gadde, according to the New York Times.

Musk singled out Gadde, 48, criticising her for her role in content moderation decisions at the company, the report said. “The bird is freed,” Musk, 51, tweeted after closing the deal.

Reacting to the development, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit tweeted, “While wickets are falling in Twitter after Elon Musk takes over Urban Naxals in India must be worried.”

Another filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri posted a picture of Gadde with Twitter’s ex-CEO Jack Dorsey, holding a placard saying “smash brahminical patriarchy”, also in the frame, and said, “They wanted to smash Brahminical Patriarchy but got smashed themselves.”

“An example of Brahminical Justice. Thanks Elon Musk,” he added.

Shefali Vaidya, who describes herself as a social media influencer, reacted to the development of Musk firing the top executives of Twitter, saying, “Excellent! I was shadow banned and my follower count dropped steadily from the day I welcomed Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter.”

“Hopefully, now Twitter India, Twitter Support will actually make it an unbiased platform!” she said.

There were also others who sounded a note of caution over the development.

Sanjay Jha, former Congress leader and author, said Musk firing top Twitter team immediately on acquiring it upends basic leadership principles. “This man is like Donald Trump on a lower dose of steroids,” he said.

K T Lakshmi Kanthan, the head of Tamil Nadu Congress’ social media department, said, “There are many right-wing supporters in Twitter India and letting fake handles to do their hate propaganda which spreads venom in the society. Elon Musk should look into this, if he really cares for the freedom of the bird.”

As the Twitter account of former US President Donald Trump was permanently suspended in January last year, Hyderabad-born Gadde was at the forefront of this dramatic decision undertaken within days of the attempted insurrection by pro-Trump supporters at the US Capitol.

(Elon Musk photo courtesy PTI)