Days after it suspended Rahul Gandhi’s account for rule violation, the handles of several Congress leaders and the party were blocked by Twitter today. The accounts which have been blocked include INC’s official handle, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee’s official Twitter handle, AICC general secretary Ajay Maken, party’s whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, Assam in-charge and former Union minister Jitendra Singh, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev. The move comes after Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter handle was suspended for violating Twitter’s rules. Gandhi had tweeted his photos with the family of a nine-year-old victim of an alleged rape and murder in Delhi.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had written to Twitter to act against Rahul Gandhi’s account for violating the privacy of a minor victim which is mandated by the laws of the land.

Yesterday, Twitter had informed the Delhi High Court that it had removed Rahul Gandhi’s tweet and also locked his account. The HC was hearing a plea against Rahul Gandhi for his tweet allegedly disclosing the identity of a rape victim’s family.

The Congress said it will write to Twitter to raise objections against the detention of the accounts. Pranav Jha, AICC secretary in-charge of the party’s Communication Department informed about the handles’ detention. “So! After Shri @RahulGandhi, the Lord @narendramodi Ji and Vassal @Jack & @twitter have locked @rssurjewala, @ajaymaken & @sushmitadevinc. @INCIndia registers its protest and promises to continue the fight for each and all being wronged! We shall hold on @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji,” he said.

“The list goes on. @Twitter locks @JitendraSAlwar and @manickamtagore and many more. Doesn’t Modi Ji understand that we @INCindia’s have a legacy of fighting even from behind the locks of kaala paani? He thinks the virtual locks of Twitter will deter us from fighting for India??” he asked.

The Congress has accused Twitter of acting against Gandhi’s account under pressure from the government. According to reports, around 25 accounts of various Congress leaders have been blocked by Twitter so far.

Rohan Gupta, Social Media Head, AICC today claimed that Twitter has blocked 5000 accounts of Congress leaders and workers across India. He said that Congress can’t be pressurised by Twitter or government.