Even as Twitter on Thursday was making submissions in Delhi High Court that it’s targeting to be IT Rules-compliant by weekend, the new IT and Telecoms Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reiterated what his predecessor had been saying till recently — those who do business in India, should follow local laws.

“The law of the land should be abided by everyone,” Vaishnaw was quoted by news agency ANI as saying after a meeting with  BJP general secretary (Organisation) B L Santhosh at the party office in New Delhi.

India’s new digital regulations, which became effective end-May, are aimed at regulating content on social media and making firms act more swiftly on legal requests to remove posts and sharing details on the originators of messages, apart from moderating content on OTT and digital news platforms. They also require the appointment of certain new executives like a nodal officer, chief compliance office and grievance officer — all to be resident in India and employees of a digital company.

The law of the land should be abided by everyone: Newley appointed Electronics and Information Technology minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on the issue of Twitter pic.twitter.com/Lg3foCFJ1J

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2021

The rules were introduced amid growing conflict between the government and the US social media firm Twitter, which ratcheted up during the pandemic. The spat between Twitter and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government began earlier this year when the microblogging giant was ordered to remove a controversial hash tag related to farmer protests against new agricultural reforms.

That tussle, coupled with regulatory scrutiny of other U.S. tech firms like WhatsApp and Amazon, has upset the business environment in a key growth market, some companies have opined, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the junior minister at Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity)  Rajeev Chandrashekhar also took office Thursday.

A tech entrepreneur-turned-politician, Chandrashekhar was quoted by ANI, while dwelling on the Twitter issue, as saying, “The Ministry doesn’t operate on a unilateral basis. An this has nothing to do with individual views and opinions. The Ministry will sit with the Union Minister and address all these issues.”

I have just taken the charge. The Ministry doesn't operate on a unilateral basis & this has nothing to do with individual views and opinions. The Ministry will sit with the new Union Minister and address all these issues: MoS MeitY Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Twitter issue pic.twitter.com/RbyVgtMWxr

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2021

Vaishnaw, who also holds the portfolios of the Railways and Communications along with Meity, made his presence felt in all the three ministries and was welcomed by officials from the respective organisations.

Vaishnaw  is a Member of Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) from the State of Odisha.  He served the people of Sundergarh, Balasore, Cuttack and Goa regions.

A Master’s in Technology from IIT Kanpur and MBA from Wharton, he brings a combination of skills in technology, finance and their application to weakest sections of society, a government statement said. Vaishnaw firmly believes in the philosophy of Antyodaya — transforming the lives of the marginalized sections of society.

According to the new Minister, “The Railways, Communication and Technology touch the lives of all Indians. I will work to fulfill the Prime Minister’s vision.”