New Delhi, January 30: Twitter started blocking accounts flagged by the government for "carrying inflammatory and divisive comments", according to a Times of India report. The microblogging site has assured the Indian government that it is looking into the concerns and taking stock of the handles which is mentioned in the notice sent by IT Ministry under Section 69A of the IT Act.

Reportedly, of the 1,178 handles that the government suspected to have links with Khalistani and Pakistani elements to spread misinformation and provocative content over farmers' protest, 583 have been deactivated. Twitter Says 'Employees' Safety Top Priority' in Response to India Asking It to Remove 1,178 Pakistani-Khalistani Accounts Spreading Misinformation.

Twitter has reached out to the Union IT Minister for a formal dialogue, adding that the "safety of our employees is a top priority". On Monday, India asked the social media site to remove 1178 Pakistani-Khalistani accounts spreading misinformation and provocative content.

On January 31, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had sent a list of 257 handles and tweets to be blocked for similar reasons. Twitter blocked these accounts for a few hours before unilaterally unblocking them shortly after.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 10, 2021 08:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).