Two representatives of Twitter India appeared before a parliamentary standing committee on Friday evening to answer questions concerning ways to prevent misuse of the social media platform.

The Twitter officials were scheduled to appear before the panel at 4pm.

The parliamentary panel meeting was called to examine the issue of safeguarding rights of Indian citizens and preventing misuse of online platforms.

The Standing Committee on Information Technology led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has called representatives of Twitter India and officials of the Union Information Technology Ministry for the meeting.

The Twitter officials were summoned before the parliamentary panel at a time when the social media giant is at loggerheads with the central government over the new IT rules and Twitter failure in complying with them.

Earlier this week, Twitter India Managing Director Manish Maheshwari was booked by the UP Police and asked to join a probe in connection with the case involving an assault on a Muslim man and posts about it on Twitter.

Maheshwari has been asked to appear at the Loni Border police station in Ghaziabad within seven days to get his statement recorded in the case in which an FIR was lodged against the social media giant also.ADVERTISEMENT

“Manish Maheshwari is the MD of Twitter India and was sent a notice under CrPC section 166 seeking his cooperation in the probe. Some other details have been sought from him, and he has been given seven days’ time to appear at the local police station,” Superintendent of Police (Ghaziabad Rural) Iraj Raja said.