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The decision of key U.S. social media platforms to ban outgoing President Donald Trump has caused much consternation among the Indian right-wing and supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Following Facebook’s decision to indefinitely ban Trump from its platform, and Twitter’s first temporary, and then permanent, suspension of @realDonaldTrump, key pro-BJP voices have spoken out against it, and in the process, revealed their worry that Facebook and Twitter might crack down on them at some point in the near future.
On January 9, Amit Malviya, the head of BJP’s information and technology department, tweeted about the two social media giants’ decision to suspend Trump’s account: “Deplatforming Donald Trump, a sitting US president, sets a dangerous precedent. It has less to do with his views and more to do with intolerance for a differing point. Ironically, those who claim to champion free speech are celebrating. Big tech firms are now the new o