
Reuters X account restored in India after suspension over legal demand
The Reuters News account on X was restored in India on Sunday, a day after the social media platform suspended it, citing a legal demand. "At this time, we are no longer withholding access in INDIA to your account," X said in an email to the Reuters social media team, without elaborating. Representatives for X, Reuters and the Indian government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the restoration of the account.
Earlier on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Indian government's
Press Information Bureau
told Reuters that no Indian government agency had required withholding the Reuters handle, adding that officials were working with X to resolve the problem. A Reuters spokesperson had said the agency was working with X to resolve this matter and get the Reuters account reinstated in India as soon as possible. Reuters World, another X account operated by the news agency which was blocked in India, was also restored late Sunday night. The main Reuters account, which has more than 25 million followers globally, had been blocked in India since Saturday night. A notice told X users that "@Reuters has been withheld in IN (India) in response to a legal demand".
In an email to the Reuters social media team on May 16, X said: "It is our policy to notify account holders if we receive a legal request from an authorized entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account."
"In order to comply with X obligations under India's local laws, we have withheld your X account in India under the country's Information Technology Act, 2000; the content remains available elsewhere". Reuters could not ascertain if the May 16 email was linked to Saturday's account suspension nor could it determine what specific content the demand referred to, why its removal was sought or the entity that had lodged the complaint. While the email did not specify which entity had made the request or what content they sought to remove, it said X had been advised that in such cases, a user could contact the secretary of India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
The secretary, Sanjay Jaju, did not respond to requests seeking comment. The 2000 law allows designated government officials to demand the takedown of content from social media platforms they deem to violate local laws, including on the grounds of national security or if a post threatens public order. X has long been at odds with India's government over content-removal requests. In March, the company sued the federal government over a new government website the company says expands takedown powers to "countless" government officials.
The case is continuing. India has said X wrongly labelled an official website a "censorship portal", as the website only allows tech companies to be notified about harmful online content.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
20 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
The possibilities and limits of the Tamil Nadu model
Drawing attention to the sharp differences in incomes across developing countries, the Nobel-winning economist Robert Lucas had suggested that we should see these differences as possibilities. 'Is there some action a government of India could take that would lead the Indian economy to grow like Indonesia's or Egypt's?' Lucas wrote in an oft-cited 1988 paper (the Indian economy was considered a global developmental laggard then). 'If so, what, exactly? If not, what is it about the 'nature of India' that makes it so? The consequences for human welfare involved in questions like these are simply staggering: Once one starts to think about them, it is hard to think about anything else.' Looking at the stark differences in incomes and human development indicators across Indian states, similar questions come to mind: Is there something that Uttar Pradesh could do to grow like Tamil Nadu or Maharashtra? If so, what exactly? If not, why not? Such questions have gained greater salience as inter-state disparities have widened in recent years. Some economists and policy wonks seem to have found an ideal growth 'model' in the state of Tamil Nadu. With manufacturing accounting for a quarter of the state's economic output, Tamil Nadu is seen as a desi version of Vietnam. Former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian has argued that the Tamil Nadu model could be adopted by other states to improve their industrial performance. Venture capitalist-turned-philanthropist Ashish Dhawan has also made similar arguments, praising the role of the state government in hand-holding new investors. Compared to other industrialised states such as Haryana or Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu has more impressive attainments in health and educational outcomes. That makes it more attractive as a developmental model compared to either Kerala (which lacks a modern industrial base) or Gujarat (which has relatively poorer human development outcomes), economist Pranab Bardhan has argued. What lies behind Tamil Nadu's developmental success? A part of the answer lies in the unique political economy of the state. The two major Dravidian parties share a common heritage and have adopted similar policy positions on key socio-economic issues. Both parties were born out of an anti-Brahminical movement going back to the British Raj, and have sought to empower the intermediate castes (OBCs). As some of these communities transitioned from traditional farm-based activities to modern businesses, they received bipartisan support from the state's politicians. Entrepreneurs were never seen as 'class enemies' to begin with, and continue to enjoy greater social legitimacy than in many other parts of the country. Dravidian ideologues advocated industrialisation and modernisation of the economy so that Tamil society could break free from the shackles of caste-based occupations and hierarchical traditions, economists Kalaiyarasan A and Vijayabaskar M wrote in their 2021 book, The Dravidian Model. The Dravidian ideologues envisioned a democratisation of capitalist activities, and promoted the interests of local businessmen, the duo argue. The pro-business tilt in the state's policy stance has endured despite a series of corruption scandals over the past three decades. Any state-level policymaker who wishes to emulate the Tamil Nadu model must also note its limits. Over the past decade, Tamil Nadu's share in manufacturing employment has declined even as those of other states have increased. While the organised manufacturing sector has grown rapidly, the unorganised sector seems to have languished. Since the unorganised sector employs more people, the gains in employment have been much less impressive than the gains in manufacturing output. Second, despite the state government's significant investments in health and education, a growing section of the state's population has been turning to private educational and health care providers in search of better quality, as Kalaiyarasan and Vijayabaskar note. Third, the state government's OBC-friendly tilt in social policies seem to have benefited some sub-castes (or jatis) much more than others. For instance, in 2007, Tamil Nadu abolished the common entrance test (CET) for admissions to professional courses since it was deemed to favour socially privileged communities (who could afford private coaching). While the move helped widen access to technical education, it is the better-off communities within OBCs that gained most, a 2019 analysis by R Srinivasan and N Raghunath showed. Despite these limitations, Tamil Nadu's track record in delivering inclusive growth remains better than most other states. The southern state offers useful lessons for other regions. However, it may not be easy to replicate the Dravidian model in toto, since that model rests on an unique demographic endowment. Most Tamils belong to lower caste groups and hence it has been relatively easy to build a consensus in favour of egalitarian policies in the state. Upper castes account for only 2% of Tamil Nadu's population according to the last National Family Health Survey. In states such as Uttar Pradesh — where upper castes account for nearly a fourth of the population — the Dravidian model may not be easy to implement. Yet, if Uttar Pradesh were to achieve a (Tamil Nadu-style) political consensus on socio-economic reforms, it will find it easier to generate inclusive growth. Pramit Bhattacharya is a Chennai-based journalist. The views expressed are personal.
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
20 minutes ago
- Business Standard
ED questions Robert Vadra for 5 hours in Sanjay Bhandari-linked PMLA case
Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was on Monday questioned for about five hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari and some others, official sources said. The 56-year-old Vadra arrived at the federal probe agency's office located in central Delhi after 11 am. He was accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi, MP from Kerala's Wayanad Lok Sabha seat. The session ended shortly after 5 pm, during which Vadra once went out during lunch hour. The businessman's statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. They said he may be called again for questioning as he allegedly "failed" to answer certain questions regarding his financial links with Bhandari and his family members. He was called by the agency twice last month for questioning in this case, but he sought deferment of his summons as he reported being unwell during the first summons and later had to travel abroad after obtaining approval from a local court. Vadra is being investigated by the agency in three different money laundering cases, including two pertaining to alleged irregularities in land deals. He was questioned by the ED in April for three consecutive days in a case linked to alleged irregularities in a 2008 Haryana land deal case. The businessman is also being investigated by the anti-money laundering agency in a case related to alleged financial irregularities in a land deal in Rajasthan's Bikaner. The case linked to Vadra and Bhandari pertains to the ED findings reported in a chargesheet in 2023, alleging Bhandari "acquired" the 12, Bryanston Square house located in London in 2009 and got it renovated "as per the directions of Vadra and the funds for renovation were provided by Robert Vadra." Vadra has denied that he owns any London property directly or indirectly. Terming these charges as a political witch hunt against him, he said that he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends. The ED is expected to file a fresh chargesheet in the Bhandari case following the recording of Vadra's statement. The 63-year-old Bhandari fled to London in 2016, soon after the Income Tax department raided him in Delhi. He was recently declared a fugitive economic offender by a Delhi court, paving the way for confiscation of his properties worth crores of rupees. A UK court, sometime back, refused the Indian government's application seeking permission to appeal in Britain's Supreme Court against the discharge of Bhandari in an extradition case against him, virtually ruling out chances of his being brought to the country to face the law.


Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
CM hold talks with UAE foreign trade minister, Emirates Airlines
Bhopal: On the second day of his visit to the UAE, chief minister Mohan Yadav visited the headquarters of the Textile Merchants Group (TEXMAS) and held discussions with leading textile traders in Dubai. He also met UAE minister of state for foreign trade Thani Bin Al Zeyoudi and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates Airlines and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority among others. A t TEXMAS the high-level interaction on Monday focused on strengthening trade, innovation, and investment opportunities in the textile sector under the India–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). During the meeting, attended by TEXMAS chairman Nasir Akhoon, vice chairman Vinod Nagda, and other senior Indian-origin office bearers, both sides agreed to accelerate bilateral trade under CEPA. The chief minister told TEXMAS representatives that Madhya Pradesh is one of India's leading textile-producing states, with cutting-edge textile clusters like the PM MITRA Park in Dhar ready for global investors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He also highlighted provisions under the new Industrial Policy 2025, including land allocation, capital subsidies, SGST reimbursement, and labour reforms. He invited UAE-based companies to explore technical collaboration in this area. The meeting between CM Yadav and Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates Airlines and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority marked an important step in strengthening aviation ties between Madhya Pradesh and the UAE. Yadav assured the state's readiness to participate in I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE, USA) partnerships in focus areas like clean tech, food logistics, and industrial innovation. He invited organizations like TEXMAS to initiate pilot projects in the state.