Wikipedia asked by Indian government to remove link showing ‘incorrect map’ of J&K

The Indian government has asked Wikipedia to remove from its platform a link that has shown an “incorrect map” of Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported, quoting sources.

The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT has issued an order under Section 69A of the IT Act, 2000, directing the giant online encyclopedia to remove the link, the sources added.

The matter had been flagged by a Twitter user through a tweet calling upon the government to take strict action in the matter.

The user, Chhatrasal Singh, had highlighted the Wikipedia page on India-Bhutan relationship where the map incorrectly depicted the boundary of Jammu Kashmir.

Sources told PTI that taking cognizance of the matter, the ministry issued an order on November 27, 2020, directing Wikipedia to remove the map as it “violated the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India.”

They added that the government can take serious legal action against the company, including blocking access to the entire platform, as per Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, if it does not make the changes.

Last month, the Indian government had issued a notice to Twitter for showing Leh as part of Jammu and Kashmir, like it was before the bifurcation of the erstwhile state, instead of the union territory of Ladakh.