Twitter India’s public policy head Mahima Kaul resigns

Mahima Kaul, who has been serving at Twitter India for five years, has resigned from the post Director, Public Policy, India and South Asia at the micro-blogging platform. On Sunday, the company said that Mahima Kaul resigned in January and that she will be at the helm till March-end.

"At the start of this year, Mahima Kaul decided to step down from her role as Twitter Public Policy Director for India and South Asia to take a well-deserved break," Monique Meche, VP, Public Policy, Twitter, told IANS. "After more than five years in the role, we respect her desire to focus on the most important people and relationships in her personal life," Meche added.

Twitter India is currently in the eye of the storm following the brouhaha over some tweets on the farmers' protest. The BJP-led Union government had sent a 'strongly-worded' notice to the company after it unblocked the Twitter accounts for some media and farmers' organisations and individuals. The Union government had ordered Twitter to block accounts that contained tweets of protests by farmers, especially from the violence on the Republic Day.

In a notice sent to Twitter, the government said that the company, as an intermediary under Section 2[1][w] of the act, is once again directed to block access by the public to the said Twitter handles and also the said hashtag with immediate effect."It needs to be mentioned that Section 69A(3) provides for specific penal consequences in case of non-compliance of the directions issued under Section 69A of the Act," the letter read. Legal experts said that top Twitter management in India faces penal action that may include seven-year imprisonment and fine if the company does not comply with the Indian government's latest order to remove accounts and tweets which alleged "farmer genocide" in the country.

"Mahima Kaul will continue in her role till the end of March and will support the transition," Meche said in the statement.